Fire and Magic
by EK
Summary: COMPLETE. AU. KK and others. The snow prince is under a weird spell, that could possibly make him lose the kingdom. The only way to undo it is for magician Kaoru to find a wizard with fiery hair. How hard could that be?
1. evil eyes and problematic people

Hello everybody. This is my official RK summer fic. If all goes well, this should be done within two months, after which I might probably be in Midori's situation and not be able to write as regularly. ^^ Sabbie- chan, I haven't forgotten about How to Impress a Girl 101, and the story is already planned out. You will forgive me though if I have no drive yet to write for Vandread. (AXN has to show it again, ne?) Hopefully I will alternate between the two, and finish both by the end of summer.  
  
One thing I will make clear from the start, by the way. I came from writing White and Black (I mean, the writing is done for it, it only has to be edited and uploaded). While this will be K/K, let me warn those who are not familiar with me, that one of the other pairings is not A/M. ^^ Hopefully, that won't ruin your enjoyment, though.  
  
For this starting chappie, Firuze's "Of Legendary Creatures and Mystical Beasts" and a Smallville episode are the main inspirations. ^^  
  
.............  
  
Long, long ago, in a castle far, far, away, there lived a prince....  
  
Yes, cheesy opening line to a cheesy fairy tale story. One that even the snow prince would hate, even on one of his good days.  
  
Not to say that the snow prince was a bad prince, oh, no, he was not. He was tolerated fairly well in the kingdom, although everyone would not deny, that he was not a social person. He was the best at making alliances with the nearby territories, and he was known to foster trade among them. He had the trust, if not exactly the friendship, of all the kings. Dealing with subjects, however, he mostly delegated to his princess and to the chief retainer.  
  
That was why he was called the snow prince by the realm. Aside from the fact that his hair was white as fresh-fallen snow, he had a somewhat icy personality. He hated balls and parades and occasions. He only stayed as long as necessary, then left as quickly as possible, much to the annoyance of his princess, who liked being around people.  
  
Speaking of the princess, she was running up and down the palace one bright morning, asking all the knights, servants, pages, and maids for the palace magician. Her braids were getting rather loose from all the tugging she did to her hair.  
  
"This is a serious situation, Misao-hime, if you're looking for the palace magician!" the chief retainer noted, quickly walking beside her.  
  
"This is not the time to be teasing, Sou-chan!" the princess retorted. "Yes, we all know that the palace magician isn't the best around, but there's no one else we can go to!"  
  
"What about, Misao-hime?"  
  
"Those new spectacles Eni-chan has? I have a hunch that they're enchanted," the princess reasoned to the chief retainer. "I know Eni-chan is hard to be with and all, but the past few days, he's not been himself!"  
  
"Tell me about it, Misao-hime!" Soujirou complained as well. "Ever since he got those odd purple spectacles, he's been unbearable. He's been shouting at the servants all morning, and they've done everything like clockwork. I've fixed all of his appointments, and still he finds something to get mad at. And, two of our guests have walked out on him already!"  
  
"Oh, no...not THEM! One of them was Lord Hiko!" the princess panicked. "We needed that alliance!" She tugged at the chief retainer's sleeves. "We HAVE to hurry and find the palace magician!"  
  
"Your speed or mine, Misao-hime?" he grinned.  
  
"Yours, Sou-chan!"  
  
He lifted her up and held her by his arms. He began to hop and skip, as if starting his engine. "Hold on, princess, I know a sure place we can find the little raccoon."  
  
The two sped down the halls of the outer court at the speed of light.  
  
The problem started a week ago. Queen Yumi, from the neighboring kingdom, made a routine courtesy call to the snow prince. Nothing much; they worked out that all present arrangements continue, and all trades go on as normal. However, at the end of the negotiations, the queen presented a box before the prince. "A gift," she said, "from Shishio- sama."  
  
"From Shishio?" even the prince was surprised. "Highly uncharacteristic of him..."  
  
Indeed it was highly uncharacteristic. The relationship between the two kingdoms were tense, to say the least. Lord Shishio was always after dominating the other kingdoms. He had already invaded the prince's territories several times. The snow prince kept his current property, thanks in no small part to Saitou, his chief commander. Thus, for Lord Shishio to be giving him a gift, was very unusual.  
  
"It is a simple token of our wonderful alliance, Enishi-sama," Yumi crooned with careful eyes, as she opened the beautiful velvet-lined box. It revealed a pair of purple-tinted glasses. "Why don't you try them on?"  
  
He did, and things have not been the same ever since.  
  
He was always anti-social, but he was not vicious before. In the course of one week, twenty servants were removed from their positions, for no reason. Several criminals were beheaded without a fair trial. He had also been rather rude to several emissaries of late. The princess and the chief retainer were having more and more difficulty explaining this erratic behavior to dignitaries.  
  
"I understand," the palace magician nodded. Misao and Soujirou finally found her, practicing her sword swings in the forest. The young woman was more of a frustrated knight than a magician, very capable with the practice wooden sword, but unpredictable in her cooking and spell- casting. "What do those glasses look like?"  
  
"The lenses are made out a unique purple glass, unlike anything we have seen," the princess described.  
  
"It shines with an eerie glow, and makes the eyes of the wearer appear more evil than they truly are?" the magician sounded like she was quoting from a book.  
  
"Precisely, Kaoru-san!" the chief retainer exclaimed.  
  
"The eyes of malice," the magician identified. "We have to go to my house and find my spell book."  
  
She waved a little wand over the three of them, chanted a few words, and soon they were engulfed in a white light.  
  
The next moment, all three materialized five feet off the ground, then dropped to the stone floor with a crash. "Ow, ow.." The princess murmured as she rubbed her bottom.  
  
"I am so sorry, your highness!!" Kaoru apologized. "Let me make it up to you..," and she began to wave her wand again.  
  
"NO----thank you, Kaoru, I'm alright," the princess stopped her, afraid of more mistakes.  
  
The magician went to a small bookshelf and eyed the titles one by one. She took out a book, and flipped furiously. She stopped at a particular page in the middle. "Here it is, the eyes of malice." She read quickly. "After the spellcaster prepares the glasses to the specifications here, he recites this chant: 'May the wearer only see the worst in men.' The one who wears it first will see people only in an unfair light, and will therefore treat them unfairly."  
  
"So what is the spell to counter it?" the chief retainer asked.  
  
"Big problem. You need one of those special wizards, the ones with fiery hair, according to the book," Kaoru frowned. "And not just any fiery- haired wizard. It must be one with a kind and devoted heart. Only that kind of wizard can break the spectacles, and the power they hold over the wearer."  
  
"So, all we have to do is have a search of the kingdom for anyone with fiery hair!" Misao clapped her hands with glee. "How many could there be?"  
  
"I don't think there are any left, Misao-hime!" Soujirou replied. "Most of them used to live in one of the farther counties, but the plague wiped them out."  
  
"Surely there must be at least one left, there must be!" the princess desperately prayed. "I don't want Eni-chan to stay this way! We'll be taken over by that annoying schemer of a Lord Shishio if we do nothing!"  
  
"We can still try, can't we, your majesty?" Kaoru smiled. "I'll go first thing in the morning."  
  
"KAORU!!" A terrible tenor resounded from outside the door.  
  
"Uh-oh, what did I do now?" the magician trembled along with the other two.  
  
"No use hiding, you witch! I will have you evicted from the palace!"  
  
"Now who dares call me a witch?!" she went on a rampage. "Landlord or not, nobody calls the palace magician an ordinary witch------"  
  
But as she swung open the door to her little cottage, she found herself face to face with the ruler of the realm. His eyes were blazing with anger. The glasses were perched on his nose, and they were glistening with malevolence.  
  
"Your highness, calm down, please!" the magician implored in fright. "I haven't broken any dinner plates, or ruined any rooms....or.....or.....I haven't done any spell-casting in the palace all day, your highness!"  
  
"Explain, then, why Misao and Soujirou are nowhere to be found in the palace," he threatened. "Two of the last three negotiations have failed! It must be your fault-traitor to the realm! Either you personally cast a spell against it, or you have hidden Misao and Soujirou! Now answer, or I might have your head!"  
  
Instead of answering, the young magician grabbed for the prince's glasses, threw them to the floor, and tried desperately to stomp on them with her foot. But the spectacles would not break. It was as if they were made of stone and diamond.  
  
"WHAT are you doing, you little witch?!" he grabbed her by the throat.  
  
"Trying to get you back to normal, your highness!" she protested with a gag. "The glasses will be your undoing!"  
  
"Listen to her, Eni-chan!" the princess ran forward and threw herself at his feet, with the chief retainer bowing beside her. "You're under a spell from Lord Shishio!"  
  
He dropped the magician to the ground, picked up the glasses, and perched it again on his nose. "So there you are, you two," he addressed Misao and Soujirou. "Tomorrow, both of you will stay in my sight all day. You will do as I say. And you," he returned to the magician, "you are suspended from the palace over the next thirty days. Get out."  
  
"But, your highness....."  
  
"GET OUT, KAORU!"  
  
She stood her ground.  
  
She put her hands together, closed her eyes, and chanted a few words. She then put her right hand over the prince's heart, until a soft glow appeared. "May you someday fully remember, the kindness of your heart," she recited, and released her hold.  
  
The snow prince dropped to the ground in a faint, barely caught by the swift chief retainer. Both he and the princess looked at the magician, demanding an answer.  
  
"I'm not strong enough to undo the spell, but I tried to put in a hole," she explained. "If my spell worked the way it should, you should have at least two hours in a day where he is quite almost his normal self. That would be the hours he takes in guests and dignitaries. Make full use of those two hours, try to talk to him then, but I don't guarantee he will listen. My spell will work for the next thirty days, while I'm gone. In the meantime, I'll go looking if there's still even one fiery-haired wizard who can undo the eyes of malice for good."  
  
"Thank you, Kaoru-san," Soujirou smiled. "I surely hope your spell works right."  
  
"So do I; my life might depend on it!" the princess quipped. She took off her signet ring and gave it to the magician. "This is to prove that your mission is for the benefit of the kingdom. Good luck on your quest. Report whenever you could, alright?" She hugged Kaoru and gave her a friendly peck on the cheek.  
  
"Of course, your majesty!" she hugged the princess back. "Now, hurry and get his highness back to the palace, before he wakes up and brings hell down on you both again."  
.............  
  
Sorry to those who don't particularly like E/M. Don't worry, this match will have second priority to the main one, so it won't bother the anti- Platinum/Jade people so much. Ice blue eyes? I'll see where I can put him eventually.  
  
The basic concept for this story came from a simple question: We all know how he got the white hair, but how did he get the funky sunglasses? ^^  
  
Hope you liked what you got on this first chappie. Please send in your suggestions and comments, I'll need them both! This is my second AU long piece, but the first one was a parody fic, so this is my first AU fic where I plan everything. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all again! 


	2. temper tantrums and kind strangers

Hello everybody! Thanks for the initial support! Always, tips and tricks would be very helpful. I'm not into LOTR and those kind of things, so I'll need all the help I can get.  
  
If nobody objects, I will retain -chan, -dono, -san, -sama, and -hime in the story, but it will be set in your usual dungeons and dragons, knights in shining armor kind of place. I don't know anything about Japanese courts and castles! ^^ I'll try to improve on my descriptions, so you'll understand what I'm trying to drive at.  
  
..........  
  
"In situations like this.....I kiss my one true love, the one true love awakens, spell is broken, we live happily ever after...right, Sou- chan?"  
  
"Misao-hime, it's the princess who is under the spell in those cases, not the prince," the chief retainer sweatdropped and gave the princess a silly grin.  
  
The princess pouted, and replaced her head over her hands.  
  
Princess and chief retainer continued their vigil over a sleeping beauty-ahem-prince, although it must be said that the snow prince was indeed quite admirable to look at. Elegant physique, well-toned muscles, handsome face. A person must be blind not to be moved by his highness' favorable impression on anyone.  
  
His highness had wonderful taste as well. His royal bedchamber was not ostentatious, like what could be found in most palaces. Rather, it had a simple refinement. The pure silk drapings had beautiful but non- extravagant embroidery. The sturdy bedposts were carved only at the top and bottom. The eiderdown pillows were covered not in frilly lace, but elegant and well-crafted embroidery. The blanket and the coverlet were decked with the embroidery as well, but only at the borders and at the center.  
  
The same could be said with the rest of the bedroom. It was not filled with flaunty French furniture, but practical and classic English and German ones. In fact, the chief retainer sat beside a simple but well-made side table, as he pored over some books.  
  
Seated at the far end of his highness' royal bed, Misao looked at her prince, in a deep slumber, still under the palace magician's temporary Overwrite spell. The chief retainer explained that the twelve-hour sleeping period was a preliminary stage, as the overwriting magic worked its way through the person's system.  
  
"Couldn't we take those spectacles now, and throw them into the sea?!" she asked Soujirou again, who was inspecting them, short of wearing them altogether. "Do be careful!" she cautioned, as he pored over the palace magician's spell book.  
  
"According to the book, it's not that easy," he replied, felt cap slightly askew, feather in the cap droopy. "It's worse in our case, since his highness wore them everyday, and only took them off when going to bed. It means that the magic has probably taken too large a hold already on his head!"  
  
"All the more reason to throw it to the ends of the earth!" Royal ankle-length attire notwithstanding, Misao grabbed the glasses from him and readied a home-run worthy pitch.  
  
"Not so fast, your highness!!" Soujirou was beside her in a millisecond, and grabbed at her pitching arm. "The spell can't be undone unless the Eyes of Malice are destroyed!"  
  
"Will both of you, PLEASE SHUT UP!"  
  
Both princess and chief retainer disappeared outside the royal bedroom door.  
  
"Guards, get those two back in here!" a furious tenor called out from the royal bedchamber.  
  
They had no choice but to return and face his wrath.  
  
The snow prince was sitting up in bed, both hands to his head, his face distorted in a wrenching grimace. "Ow, ow, ow! I will get that Kaoru when she comes back! Ow! My head!"  
  
The two politely bowed before him and awaited his pleasure.  
  
"Soujirou, you will remind me to get a higher-ranking mage for this month. This is what I get for getting a rookie magician and trying to economize! Try to get an appointment with the sorcerer who lives behind the dale. OW!" He held the top of his head firmly. "Although, to her credit, the raccoon did not burn the palace to the ground. If she comes back alive after thirty days, give her back her job. And restore those servants I fired, if you don't mind. The furniture has gotten rather dusty.."  
  
Also to the magician's credit, the Overwrite spell seems to have worked! Misao jumped up and down and twirled Soujirou around. She even gave him a kiss on the forehead.  
  
The chief retainer, however, was not as enthusiastic. "Misao-hime," he whispered quickly, "this is only for two hours at most!"  
  
"I don't care! We have Eni-chan back!" she ran and gave a very surprised prince a warm hug.  
  
"This is nice, of course....Ouch..," a puzzled Enishi held his head, "but why all this fuss?"  
  
"Ahem, your majesty," Soujirou, slightly ruffled, stood beside the couple on the bed. "According to the palace magician, you are under a spell applied by some sorcerer working for Lord Shishio. He probably has plans to ruin all your alliances, so he can get our territories for himself."  
  
"Sorcery? And why should that arrogant excuse for a lord step so low? Why should I believe you?" he raised an eyebrow. "This headache is terrible!"  
  
The conversation was going nowhere, and thirty minutes had already elapsed out of their two hours-----if they did have two hours. You never knew with Kaoru's spells.  
  
"Haven't you noticed anything unusual about yourself over the past few days, Eni-chan?" the princess asked with a loving hand to his unruly hair.  
  
He shook his head earnestly. Misao and Soujirou looked at each other in dismay.  
  
"Anything weird about your glasses?" Misao prodded, as she hid them behind her.  
  
"Look, Misao, I am a very practical person, and I don't care a tiny bit about these charmers and such," he retorted, but in a calm, slightly amused voice. "You know that we hired the rookie magician, only as a precaution. Besides, she's good entertainment over dinner..."  
  
"Just promise me one thing, Eni-chan, please?" the princess begged.  
  
"Alright...anything....OW!.....Confound this pounding headache!"  
  
"Please don't wear those spectacles again, pretty please?" she looked intently at his blue-gray eyes and pleaded. Even the chief retainer's eyes pleaded desperately with his highness.  
  
For what seemed like an eternity, the prince just held the side of his head and cringed, while the two continued to wait for his answer.  
  
Then, unexpectedly, his eyes pierced through Misao, and his lips curled into an awful frown.  
  
"No."  
  
The chief retainer gulped. The princess took her hands off his waist.  
  
"Finally, that infernal headache is gone. Take a note, you annoying retainer. I take back everything I said. Kaoru can stay out of the palace for good...."  
  
Their time was up.  
  
He gripped her arm, wrenched it toward him, and retrieved the spectacles from behind her back. He cocked them over his eyes with two fingers, and displayed the full force of the Eyes of Malice. The princess backed away inch by inch from this terrifying fiend.  
  
"Since I got these glasses I've felt a power I never thought I had. It runs in me now, consumes me, fills me with thoughts I never knew before." He drew out his hand, held Misao's chin, and glared at her in scorn. "Sorry, my dear, but I like it." He threw her back onto the bed like a discarded coat.  
  
With two finger snaps he called in the royal dressers. Soon he was surrounded by men and women, nervously but carefully fixing his breeches, polishing his shoes, and placing on his grand velvet cape. With three more snaps, they all bowed out of the bedroom as quickly as they came, scared for their lives and their jobs. The prince had no apologetic eye for the poor weeping princess, wetting the royal coverlet during the whole procedure.  
  
"Fix yourself properly, weasel," he ordered Misao with a toss of the head. "I expect you beside me on the throne in five minutes." He snapped in Soujirou's direction, and marched out the door.  
  
Misao buried her face in the fine silk coverlet.  
  
" 'May you someday fully remember, the kindness of your heart,' " the princess recited sorrowfully, alone with her worries on his bed.  
  
The presence of the glasses over his eyes prevented any more chances for the magician's overwrite spell to fully take over his thoughts. Thus, that day's proceedings were filled with unnecessary rages and useless scowls. Poor Soujirou had his work cut out for him, as he translated furious words into more diplomatic terms. His plastered smile worked to his advantage on that tiring ordeal.  
  
Several times, however, Misao noted how Enishi held his head and frowned at a headache. At one time he even removed the spectacles for a few minutes, complaining how the light hurt his eyes as they came through the lens. Some decisions therefore showed all of his former good (if rather cool) nature.  
  
All was not lost. He was still the same snowy haired prince she had learned to love, deep inside. They only had to eliminate this new power controlling him. Unfortunately, that was not in their hands, but in the hands of a magician they trusted with misgiving, and in a wizard they hoped she would find.  
  
And speaking of the magician...  
  
The young woman looked more like a page than a fair maiden, in her loose trousers and boots. She was somewhere in the middle of the plain outside the castle, fumbling through her knapsack. "Now let's see...traveller's spell book, magic wand, lunch, clothes, practice sword, staff...where ARE those maps?!" She turned the knapsack upside and poured out all the contents, and still no maps were to be found. "Spell book...spell for finding a place quickly...teleportation spell.....flying spell.....this book is useless!" And she stuffed it back into her sack. "HOW am I supposed to find a fiery-haired wizard this way?!"  
  
She slung her knapsack behind her back and secured her practice sword by her waist. In her right hand, she waved a little wand over her head. "A place to stay, tonight and the next day...." she chanted, and disappeared in a spray of yellow light.  
  
She materialized a few seconds later, in the palace stable. She dropped right at the top of a tall haystack, surrounded by stablemen raking up straw at the bottom of it.  
  
"Hey, I said a place to STAY," she waved a fist in the air, "not a place full of HAY!!"  
  
Kaoru tried to stand up and call for help, but the loose haystack gave way to her weight, and down she tumbled until she bumped her head on the ground near a horse's hoof. And the poor startled horse gave her head a rear kick, to the far end of the stable!  
  
Even the highest warlock could not stay conscious after getting kicked by a horse.  
  
When she came to, she found herself in a little shack. Sparse, but homey. A little iron stove at one corner of the room, a small table with two wooden stools. She was on the only bed, and the bed was rather rickety. The whole shack, however, was clean and swept, and smelled of chicken broth. Not very fancy, but a better place to stay, she thought. Not only that, but someone had taken the trouble of tending to her head and changing her clothes.  
  
"Are you alright, milady?" someone nearby asked. She barely made out a poor man's clothes, and a bowl of soup in a tray that the man held.  
  
"I could be better, but thank you for asking," she answered in a daze. She sat up in bed. "Where are my things?"  
  
"Over at that corner, milady," and the man pointed to the precise corner. "Soup, milady?"  
  
She got a better look at the man. He wore simple workman's clothes, particularly the kind for those who worked for the palace. A red-violet cotton shirt was tucked inside dusty white breeches, finished off with well- used but sturdy leather boots. His face was half-hidden by his unruly bangs. Most of his long hair, though, was tied behind his back with some spare ribbon. Maybe he was one of the stablemen, she would ask him eventually. Right now, she enjoyed the chicken broth and admired his cute happy smile.  
  
This man was very kind and sweet, she mentally noted. She had to pay him back for his troubles, as soon as she------  
  
She suddenly got a good look at the man's face, and his hair.  
  
Red as a flaming torch.  
  
"A wizard of the fiery hair...." She muttered. "This is unreal...."  
  
"Anything the matter, milady?" the man's head tilted cluelessly, as he took up the finished bowl of soup.  
  
"You have to come with me....noble wizard....come back with me to the palace....."  
  
"Wizard?! Get some more rest, milady. I am not a wizard!" he protested with a little forcefulness.  
  
"You must be....a fiery-haired wizard of a kind and devoted heart....." she continued to stare at the man in awe.  
  
The man was taken aback. "My name is Kenshin, milady. And I am most definitely NOT a wizard."  
  
Yes, he was, oh, yes, he was! The strongest of all that remained. Her book of lists back home said so.  
  
All legally working magicians of any rank was given a directory for all the others. Being a magic book, it updated itself regularly, and ranked the magicians according to different qualities. Strength, endurance, spellcasting ability and quality, and many others. How the book made the ranking, no magician really knew, but everyone agreed that it was very accurate.  
  
This nice little man before him, if his name truly was what he gave, topped all the lists.  
  
She was in the presence of the most powerful wizard in the kingdom, he was one of those with fiery hair, and he had a kind and devoted heart.  
  
He was more than perfect. And she found him only three hours after being banished. Something was not right with this picture.  
  
This was NOT happening.  
  
She fell back on her pillow into a long dream state.  
  
.......  
  
Milady, of course, is also "my lady". I'll be using it until I can convince Ken-san to use -dono instead. ^^  
  
Ferai-Thanks for liking it, and being first reviewer!  
  
Dallisse-Thanks much! A lot of people here already E/M supporters? Maybe, but more because of Midori than me. ^^  
  
JML-Thanks for the tips. They will be capitalized, as you wish, your majesty. I wasn't sure yet, so I didn't. Oh, and thanks for making me think about the setting more. I think I'll keep it in the Western castles and knights and kings setting than Japanese, because I know squat about daimyos and shogunates and samurai. Could you please be so kind as to supply me with the ranking of the mages, sorcerers, and such? ^^  
  
Bee-Thanks much!  
  
Vesca-Nope, it wasn't Fendi, it was Armani! ^^ Don't you think he'd be an Armani kind of guy? Oleg Cassini maybe? ^^  
  
Cat-They will be captalized, as your majesty wishes. And thanks for the tips about the cooking!  
  
Tracey-Thanks for the vote of confidence!  
  
Sabbie-Laughs? I hope so! I miss writing comedy! I'm not sure though if I can write as well as I did with White and Black, but I'll do my best with this one, too.  
  
Anyone else here watch Digimon 02? I'm serious. Could someone tell me how Ken got and lost those goggles he had on as the Emperor? ^^ Thanks! Personal opinion, but Digimon as a TV series, while a Pokemon clone, HAS a running story and good characters.  
  
Man, I've written for Misao for so long, I'll have trouble thinking like Kaoru again! And I've written drama and half-angst for so long for White and Black, I'm not sure if I'll do this right. ^^ Suggestions always welcome, especially if you'd like a very nice fic! This is new ground for me of a different sort, even if comedy is more of my element. Thanks always for the support! 


	3. seductive strangers and unspoken pasts

Hi guys! My thanks to the folks who reviewed Love on Tour. Continuation? I'll think about it first. You wouldn't want it to run like White and Black, right? ^^ White and Black continuation? I'll also think about it first. Fire and Magic continuation? Here it is. ^^  
  
I'm about to introduce a new thing here, which I don't think I will propagate. Meaning, I definitely will not make a new fic out of it, like for White and Black. And, eventually, I will restore the canon match. ^^ I like the canon pair.  
  
.............  
  
"Ooooh! Kenshin has a woman in the house!"  
  
"Mr. Single-for-life finally has a girl!"  
  
A page and a younger stablehand peered through the only window of the little shack. It was an unprecedented event, and they relished the deep red on the redhead's face. A young lady was serenely asleep under a slightly tattered blanket. Her long raven hair was beautifully scattered throughout a rather thin feather pillow.  
  
"And not just any girl, mind you!" the stablehand chided. "The palace magician!"  
  
"ORO?! Are you serious, Sano?" the fear clearly showed in the stableman's eyes, as he answered them from beside the bed.  
  
"Yup," added the page. "Word on the street has it that she's been banished from the palace. The snow prince got mad at her for something. You lucky guy! The only thing better is to get the princess!"  
  
"Yahiko!" the poor stableman looked in dismay at the page and at the sleeping female.  
  
All three suddenly noticed the young lady stir from under the covers. "I'm sorry, your highness, it won't happen again, I promise...Give me one more chance...." she muttered under her breath.  
  
The redhaired man leaned over and carefully stroked her hair. "Everything is alright, milady, the prince will not hurt you here." The young men at the window clucked and giggled unheeded.  
  
She continued to murmur in her sleep. "Must find him...must undo the spell....the Eyes of Malice....I must..."  
  
"The Eyes of Malice?!" the stableman suddenly exclaimed. "One of the most dangerous spells in existence!" He assumed a very serious demeanor, one not seen in keepers of horses, and began to shake the woman hard. "Wake up, milady, please wake up! You have to tell me, who is under the Eyes of Malice? Who cast the spell? For how long has it been in effect?"  
  
"Whoa, calm down, pal!" the stablehand jumped from the window into the shack, and restrained his friend like a royal steed. "That's no way to treat a lady!"  
  
"But this is important, Sanosuke!" the one named Kenshin explained. "That spell gains power the longer it stays!" He shook the woman awake again. "Wake up, milady!"  
  
It was a while more before Kaoru was awake enough to notice that she was firmly in the redhead's grasp, and his very concerned face was only a few inches away from hers. "Enishi-sama.....under the spell," she replied as she rubbed her eyes. "What is the rude awakening for....um....what should I call you?"  
  
"Enishi?" Kenshin asked, awestruck and distant. "Not him again...."  
  
"Does this mean you'll help me, finally, great wizard?" she inquired with a yawn.  
  
The man suddenly released her unceremoniously, and dropped her back on the bed. He turned his back on her, walked to a corner, and tended to a pot of soup boiling over the iron stove.  
  
"Do you want to help me, or do you want me dead?!" she protested as she rubbed her head.  
  
"Yeah? Who wouldn't want to help the palace magician?" Sanosuke added with a jab at his friend.  
  
"That ugly hag?" Yahiko piped in. "I wouldn't!"  
  
The hag-ahem-the magician bounded to the window and gave the boy a few hearty whacks to the head.  
  
"I said, milady, I am not a wizard," Kenshin quietly said as he stirred the soup.  
  
Sanosuke shrugged. "If he says so, he says so, little lady. He's one of the most truthful people alive in the kingdom, and I've known him for five years!"  
  
"But the Eyes of Malice," she prodded, and tugged at his sleeves. "You know about them! Tell me why you know about them! Tell me what you know!"  
  
He kept his eyes on the pot. "I am sorry, milady. Aside from lending you a horse for your journey, I cannot help you."  
  
"But don't you care about the prince at least a bit?!" she demanded of him, as the other two gentlemen quietly listened. "I know he's hard to live with, but he's a good man at heart, and he doesn't deserve to lose the kingdom to a spell!"  
  
"I have no more dealings with Enishi," he almost whispered.  
  
"What did you say, pal?" Sanosuke asked.  
  
"N-n-nothing, Sano, nothing." He grinned uneasily at his friend.  
  
............  
  
The woman was alluring, very alluring. Her tresses uniformly fell to the small of her back, and swayed with each turn of her hips. Her lips seemed to call for a kiss from any man who dared come near them. Her eyes beckoned with a subtle power. Under its spell, her wish was his command.  
  
And he was surely under its spell.  
  
She moved with a grace that was neither innocent nor seductive, but something, something temptingly in between. As her silk blue dress danced with her steps, they displayed her beautiful ankles and calves, to the appreciation of all the men of the court. They were all in a trance before this woman, one they did not wish to break.  
  
The spell this woman cast, complimented the sinister spell already placed on the prince. His Eyes of Malice saw beyond a pretty face and a beautiful figure, but to the woman hidden under the silk dress, lace trimmings, and binding corset. While all the other men knew for certain this beauty will never be theirs, the snowhaired prince calmly plotted ways to have her in the palace with him, at all cost.  
  
He looked at her with lustful eyes, cocked his spectacles closer over them, and approached the delectable female.  
  
"Your name?" he demanded, with a hand under her chin and the other caressing her silky black hair.  
  
"Megumi, your highness," the woman calmly answered, and batted her eyes at the princess.  
  
"What do you want from me?" he asked coolly. "The kingdom is yours for the asking," he brushed his cheek against her hair and whispered into her ear.  
  
The princess lost all color to her face, and found herself glued to her throne, her eyes watching in shock. The chief retainer regained enough sense to notice that his highness was all over this new woman, in the presence of HER highness!  
  
"Sou-chan....this isn't real....Sou-chan, tell me it isn't real...." Misao implored, shaking in her throne.  
  
"Unfortunately, it is, Misao-hime," Soujirou replied. "If it is any consolation, your highness, the Overwrite spell should be activating in a few seconds."  
  
Soon enough, they saw the telltale headache of the Overwrite. Within a matter of seconds, the prince bent over beside the charming woman, both his hands over his head, clenching his teeth with the pain.  
  
"Something the matter, your highness?" Megumi demurely and innocently inquired.  
  
"Infernal headache," he smirked at the woman as he stood up. "I've had it over the past two days. That annoying Kaoru....."  
  
But he quickly lost the savagery in his eyes, and took off the spectacles. He asked the woman like he would an ordinary peasant, kindly but unemotionally, "Now what brings you before me, milady?"  
  
Misao heaved a sigh of much relief.  
  
Megumi, too, noticed the change, and did not welcome it. "Your highness," she stroked the prince's cheek, "I can get rid of that headache."  
  
"That would be good," he lowered her hand away from his face, "but there is no need for too much pleasantry. The princess, you know," and he smiled toward the throne, "can be a very jealous woman."  
  
The princess abhorred the comment, but appreciated the gesture. He was back, for the time being.  
  
Instead of replying, the woman took out a small wand, and waved it over the prince, focusing on his snow-white head.  
  
"What is she doing?" Misao panicked. "Soujirou, stop her! Stop her!" She got off her throne and ran toward the prince. She grabbed him by the waist, and desperately tried to shoo away the swirls forming over his head.  
  
The chief retainer was quick on his heels, and snatched the woman's hands. She was a feisty woman, however, and wrenched herself free, with the combined power of a strong personality and a strong sorceress. Soujirou was pushed to a corner, and knocked his head on a pillar.  
  
A few magical swirls later, her spell was complete.  
  
The prince was not even knocked out, but remained standing before Megumi. He replaced the spectacles over his eyes, which then resumed their terrifying look. He quickly brushed away the anxious princess.  
  
"You're perfect, Megumi," he took her into his arms and gave her a long-drawn kiss through her beautiful lips. "From this moment, you are appointed as the new palace magician."  
  
...........  
  
"The Overwrite is broken."  
  
He spoke like it was an ordinary thing to know, late that morning, in a shack a mile away from the palace.  
  
He asked Sanosuke and Yahiko to tell the chief keeper of the stables that he would not report for work, and care for a cousin. It was a more believable story than the truth. Who would believe the page that a stableman was at home with the former palace magician?  
  
"The Overwrite, is broken," he muttered again.  
  
Kaoru peered at his sad eyes, and questioned.  
  
"You are probably the one who placed it on Enishi, the Temporary Overwrite," he continued, without looking at her. "A new, a stronger mage has appeared at the palace, I assume, and he or she has erased the Temporary Overwrite. At any rate, it is a weak counter to the Eyes of Malice."  
  
"How do you know?" she asked quietly, seated on his bed.  
  
He looked far into the fields, his head leaned over his arm on the window.  
  
"Always an impulsive boy, Enishi, that he is," he murmured. "Takes people at face value, accepts gifts without asking questions.... The Eyes of Malice is usually given as a gift to an unwitting victim. ...It is like him to fall for it....It's partly my fault why he is like that."  
  
"I don't understand, Kenshin," she scratched her head. "You know all of this, but still you refuse to help me?"  
  
He did not answer.  
  
"The book of lists does not lie," she pursued. "I know your name, and so does every other mage and magician in practice. You are the strongest mage in the kingdom, do not deny it!"  
  
"I am not that man, Kaoru, milady," he sighed. "Not anymore."  
  
"Not anymore!" she got out of the bed, walked to him, and forced him to look at her. "What do you mean, not anymore?"  
  
If she expected a confession, she did not get it. Instead, the redhead smiled a happy smile at her. "I am a stableman, milady, and that is all I have been for five years. I cannot tell you why I know such things, but I assure I am telling the truth, I am not a wizard." He retrieved a walking stick near the wooden door.  
  
"But you USED to be a wizard," she demanded.  
  
"I am sorry, Kaoru, milady, but I have to go," he smiled again, and went out the door.  
........  
  
The ending was not supposed to be that way when I started! It's the fault of watching "The End of the Affair" and the Saitou/Kenshin fight. Sad and serious stuff. Oh, dear...  
  
Nope, no Eni/Meg out of me on a serious basis. Too confusing, too hard to write for Meg, too hard to write for two hotheads who will fight over the fox. Final answer. Non-negotiable. I can think like Kaoru and Misao, since my personality is somewhat a mix of both of them. Megumi, I cannot sustain. Thank you for understanding.  
  
I, tesuka-chan, Cat H, ICEANGEL, and several other writers are very very happy right now. We have a full hour of the Japanese Kyoto arc running on cable!  
  
Reviews for Love on Tour:  
  
Sabbie-yeah, no kidding. It was hard for me, too, to leave Eni-chan. ^^  
  
Chiki----Thanks much. After trying to convince the world that Enishi is the best for Misao, I find myself still making Aoshi and Misao look good together. Life is weird. ^^ I'm not sure if this is one-shot or not. I'll still think about it.  
  
Argentum Draco-In my case, the order is Kenshin, Soujirou, then Enishi. ^^  
  
Nekonomiko-Really? Fewer A/M fics? I guess it's partly my fault-people are writing triangles or alternate pairs for Misao now. Thanks for liking it!  
  
Noa-You can have him, no problem. I have a stake on the snow prince, though. ^^  
  
Cat H-Sou/Mi one-shot? Somewhere in Fire and Magic, most probably. More A/M? Don't know yet. Like Aoshi-sama more than Eni-chan? Not anytime soon. ^^  
  
Bee-thanks!  
  
Sapphi-chan-(but I doubt she'll see this) Gambatte de gozaru yo! This got typed before we had the mall-tour conversation.  
  
CardMistressSakura-You're welcome. ^^ You and sapphi-chan got on my nerves. ^^  
  
Megami no ushi-No problem! I do have a few solid K/K stories before White and Black. Read up on Nine Months, it's still A/M there for the most part. ^^ More A/M? I'll see what I can do.  
  
Reviews for Fire and Magic:  
  
Firuze-nee-san-Really? Foresaw some things in Legendary? Well, Emode tells me I have strong precognition. ^^ We currently have Digimon 02 and 03 in my country, and I'm watching 02.  
  
Sabbie-Thanks for the pics!  
  
Ferai-Yup, K/K forever! ^^ I'll lessen the suffixes and honorifics, but maybe not remove them completely. I think they're cute. ^^  
  
Cherrymecha-Thank you! My fic before this, White and Black, is rather solid E/M. ^^ The best E/M to date is Midori Natari Himura's White Tiger Jade Concubine. It's in my faves list, check it out!  
  
Vesca-Kenshin in Calvin Klein, nice! Thanks for liking the book!  
  
Cat-Kaoru? Encantations for the most part only. Misao? Same situation as in White and Black-which, you reminded me, I have to clarify. Of course, not as complicated as I made it in chapter 19!  
  
Dallisse--Yup, you got it. ^^ Thanks for liking!  
  
That's everybody! Much thanks for reading! 


	4. memory jewels and other sorcerors

Hiya all! I hope at least some of you still remember Fire and Magic from many months ago. I still have the basic plot in my head, but I know that AU isn't really my thing, so I laid off the writing for a while. Now that I'm in something of a block in Taming a Tiger, I hope you like this next chappie.  
  
.............  
  
"I am NOT sleeping with that.....that....beast!"  
  
It was the new palace magician. She sat herself by the fountain, under the night sky. As she elegantly tossed her head and smoothed out her silky black hair, she protested at nobody in particular. She allowed the mist rising from the fountain at the center of the palace to cool off her heated brain.  
  
"I have done what you have asked. I got myself into the prince's good graces, I removed the Overwrite, and now I'm the palace magician. But I draw the line at sleeping with him! He is a ruthless tiger!"  
  
A mysterious voice answered from the shadows. "It is merely a result of the Eyes of Malice."  
  
Megumi clenched a fist in chagrin.  
  
"Of course, it will help us if you could spread the word about it around here," the voice continued. "The faster his deteriorating reputation spreads, the easier it would be for our master to take over this territory."  
  
"YOU work for Lord Shishio, Aoshi. I am merely forced to work for you," she snapped.  
  
The shadow called Aoshi stepped up to the light. He wore a flowing cloak, dark as the night, and stood before the defiant magician. He raised a small burlap bag, and started to toss and catch it. "Are you complaining, Megumi?"  
  
Megumi stared at the burlap bag with horror, and relented. "No...no...I'm not complaining."  
  
"I thought so," the shadow returned the bag into his cloak. "I know you love your father enough to do anything."  
  
She turned her back on him. "I liked you better a few years ago. Being an evil sorcerer never suited you."  
  
He remained silent for a few moments. "Just do your job, Megumi. I will come back to check on you next week. By then preparations for invasion might just be complete. Especially if complaints like yours spread like wildfire." He covered himself under the cloak, and he blended into the night.  
  
Still sitting by the fountain, Megumi demurely began to cry.  
  
She buried her face in her hands. "The snow prince is annoying, but he does not deserve what's coming to him. I should never have agreed to this..."  
  
"May you please explain, Megumi, milady?"  
  
She was surprised to see another man sit beside her. She never saw where he came from. He wore the simplest of magician's clothes, but they glowed with a brilliance unusual to common practitioners. He asked with a kind smile, and seemed nice enough. Still, he scared the life out of her. She had not even felt the aura of a person arriving from teleportation, he was that fast and that good. She went down on her knees and bowed.  
  
"I don't deserve to be visited by such an honorable wizard as yourself," she remained with face inches from the ground.  
  
"Nonsense, milady," he smiled. "Get up! I have not been an honorable wizard for a long time. I cannot even believe my teleportation skills are still fine; I have been out of practice." He scratched his auburn head, hidden under a large hat, in embarrassment. "Now, milady, what was coming to the snow prince?"  
  
"Lord Shishio has plans, yet again, to take over Prince Enishi's territories," she began. "But this current plan is the most organized so far, and it just might work, if my end of the plan works as well. I suppose I don't have to tell you, but I am the one who disabled that Overwrite placed by the old magician. I would have wanted to actually make it stronger....but....but....."  
  
"Yes, milady?"  
  
"Aoshi has my memory ruby...and if I don't do what he says, he will destroy it.....and.....and...it's my only remembrance of my father...." She broke down and cried a little more.  
  
"I....understand," he replied.  
  
From inside his coat, he retrieved a medium-sized sapphire strung to a chain. He took it into his palm, and looked into it. Megumi did the same.  
  
Inside the sapphire the face of a delicately smiling young woman appeared. Eventually scenes of the lady and the wizard having a good time in the woods appeared and disappeared in succession. They were the memories of a woman worth remembering.  
  
"Beautiful woman," she said with sympathy.  
  
"Thank you," he smiled sadly at the jewel.  
  
He added to himself. "Can I do this...for him..for her?"  
  
He then replaced the sapphire into his coat, and looked at Megumi, "You are working for...Aoshi?! But Aoshi is...."  
  
"Not the same as when you knew him years ago. The power Lord Shishio gave him as chief sorcerer has reached his head. Now he only works to gain more power for his master, and in so doing gain more power for himself.  
  
"Basically, my mission is to ensure that the Eyes of Malice takes its full effect on the prince. Either he will be too selfish to notice he is being taken for a fool, or the people will be so angry at him they will take him down themselves. In either case, he will most likely be killed. And no matter how much I hate that snowhaired annoyance, I do not want him dead."  
  
He nodded. "I thank you for the information, Megumi, milady."  
  
"I'm sorry I can't undo what I have done; Aoshi will know and I will be punished."  
  
"I know, milady. And if I interfere with your spells he will also be suspicious. I will be back. In the meantime, tell the princess to always repeat the chant of the Overwrite, especially in front of him. It minimizes its damage."  
  
With a little swirl of the hand, the wizard of the fiery hair dematerialized, and left Megumi alone.  
  
She smiled at the sky. "Thank you."  
  
................  
  
"I can't believe the princess already knows I stay here!" Kaoru stomped at the hay, a crumpled note in her hands. "She gave me a good-luck note!"  
  
"Word travels fast in the kingdom, Miss former palace magician," Sanosuke explained as he raked away. "Faster than even the chief retainer can run."  
  
"Word is, you've already been replaced!" Yahiko added. "And the new girl is HOT!"  
  
"And the prince's head over heels about her!" Sanosuke continued.  
  
Kaoru felt the blood rushing to her head. "How DARE you talk like that about Enishi-sama! He has a good relationship with the princess; why would he flirt with my replacement?!"  
  
"You're just jealous he didn't flirt with you, you HAG!"  
  
"Why you little...." she took out her wand and began to furiously wave it around, until fairy dust began to accumulate at its tip. "I'll turn you into a TOAD!"  
  
But before she could actually point the wand, a well-aimed stone hit her on the hand and made her release it.  
  
"Please do not set the stable on fire, Kaoru-milady!" Kenshin shouted from the large and wide doors. He then walked into the stable and absently took up a rake.  
  
"You've been out all night!" Sanosuke greeted. "Who's the lucky lady?" Yahiko whistled in turn. Kaoru turned her back on the stablemen.  
  
But he did not answer. Instead he started to rake the nearest stall with lowered head.  
  
The other three endured the silence for a while as they continued cleaning the stable. Yahiko began brushing horses, Sanosuke finished off the other stalls, and Kaoru, with a little instruction, managed to clean a few saddles. But the unnatural silence was unbearable.  
  
From roughly the middle of the stable, Kaoru saw Yahiko pull Sano away, and also saw Kenshin rake the same stall at the other end. "What's the matter with him?" the boy asked the young man.  
  
"Beats me, but I guess we better leave the guy alone for a while," Sano answered, and went outside.  
  
Something was indeed bothering the redheaded stableman, and Kaoru could guess she was partly the reason for it. The man was hiding something from her and his two friends. She did not understand. Everything she had seen and heard so far seemed to confirm her hunch. He was the most powerful wizard, one of the last few with fiery hair. Why would the best wizard in the territory hide himself and his powers? Why did he keep denying what was almost obvious?  
  
When Kaoru looked back at Kenshin's end of the stable, the rake was raking by itself!  
  
She rubbed her eyes, confirmed that she was not hallucinating, and walked toward the stall. When she got there, indeed, the rake moved by itself and took up the last of the hay.  
  
Beside the enchanted rake, the redhaired stableman stood, and looked down at a blue stone on a chain. "Why does it have to be him? Why does it have to be your brother?" He addressed the stone. "Can I do it...for you....for him? Can I really save him? He probably has not forgiven me yet. Will he accept help from me?"  
  
"Why shouldn't he?" Kaoru answered.  
  
"Milady!" he jumped, and the rake fell to the ground lifeless. He quickly hid the jewel.  
  
"I knew it! I knew it from the start!" Kaoru beamed at him, then remembered, and curtsied before him. "Please, great wizard, I beg you, help the prince, before he loses the kingdom!"  
  
"Kaoru, milady, I have told you countless times since you came..." he faltered.  
  
"I'll be extremely lucky if I can get a rake to work as well as this one," she remained in a curtsy. "You are the one I seek. Please, great wizard of kind heart and fiery hair, please, help the prince. Whether he has forgiven you or not, please help him."  
  
"But.....but.....I have told you......"  
  
"Don't you at least care about the kingdom, if not for Enishi-sama?"  
  
"Yes, I do....but....but....."  
  
Kaoru could not argue soon after. She thought she saw a man speed by and look at them from the large gate. The speed was horrific, but it was not the chief retainer. He seemed like an ordinary man armed with magic equipment.  
  
With his back to the gate, Kenshin emphasized his words. "It is a complicated matter, milady. I am not a wizard. Not anymore. That is all."  
  
The man Kaoru saw had returned, with a bow in his hands. In the next second, he fired an arrow at Kenshin's back.  
  
She was not good enough a magician to counter with split-second magic. She just pushed him away, and caught the arrow herself.  
  
It hit her shoulder. She fell to the ground.  
  
In his fright, he dropped all pretences.  
  
"Lock In Place!!" Kenshin quickly pointed at the shooter, and the man froze where he stood.  
  
The stableman teleported to the spot, and touched the man's head. "Word of Truth," he cast. "Talk! Who sent you? What is your purpose? What kind of arrow was that?"  
  
Only the poor man's mouth moved. "Master Aoshi knows you are here, and he wants you dead. The arrow is not magic, but it has been laced with poison at the tip. The victim has three hours at most to live."  
  
"Antidote!" Kenshin demanded.  
  
"A spell only high-level magicians would know, Master Aoshi being one of them. That was all he told me."  
  
Kenshin held the man's head again for a longer time until a warm glow appeared. He then intoned, "You will forget that you came here. You will go back to your town, and you will return to your family. You will not return to your master. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir," the man replied blankly.  
  
Finally and hastily, Kenshin snapped a finger, releasing the man from the lock on movement. The man shook his head, as if to shake off a daze, and looked around in confusion at the royal stable. But Kenshin did not answer the man's head-scratching. "Go, now." The man dropped the bow and obeyed.  
  
When Kenshin returned to her side seconds after, she was already fading in and out of consciousness. "Why in the world did you do that, milady?" he asked.  
  
She smiled and murmured with faint breaths. "I knew it. I knew it from the start."  
  
He peered down on her, and sighed. "I suppose the fact cannot be hidden any longer."  
  
"Don't worry about me, Kenshin. Save the prince."  
  
"Stop talking, milady! The poison will course faster through your system!"  
  
Hearing the ruckus, the other two stablemen returned at a run. They were surprised to see Kenshin directly over the young lady laid out on the hard ground. "Now THAT's fast!" Sanosuke commented.  
  
"No time to explain!" Kenshin shouted back.  
  
He looked intently at the young lady, who was now deathly pale. "Listen to me, milady. I will do everything I can to save you, but first I have to put you into a long sleep, to slow down the movement of the poison until I am sure what it is. Are you agreeable?"  
  
She could only nod faintly.  
  
He kneeled beside her, placed his hands over her heart and her head. He closed his eyes, knit his brows, and cast the spell. "Deep freeze." He then watched her closely as her body became cold and lifeless by degrees. Within seconds she seemed like a corpse. He checked her wrists and lips, and sighed in relief.  
  
"Is she....will she...." Yahiko asked with terrified gawking eyes.  
  
"She is still alive, but only in suspended animation, you might say," Kenshin answered. "It will buy us a little more time. I hope we make it."  
  
He rose to move Kaoru from the stable floor, as his memory jewel fell to the ground. He first ignored it, and made sure he placed her comfortably on the bed for stablemen on night shifts. Satisfied, he walked back to the sapphire strung on a chain. He peered down at the memory sapphire. "I already lost you to a miscast spell. I swear, I will not let this young lady die!" He gripped the jewel tightly, and looked back at Kaoru's almost lifeless body. "I will not let this young lady die."  
  
..............  
  
The memory jewels were a spur-of-the-moment thing, but I liked them, hope you did, too! I'm a sucker for Nightcrawler in X-men Evolution, hence all the teleportation in this chapter. Thanks for reading! 


	5. water buckets and role reversals

Hello. I'm taking advantage of a holiday to finish the chapter in my head. Taming a Tiger is still on hold, sorry. Thank you for reading this chapter. Finished in one day.  
  
................  
  
"You mean....you mean....you're....." Sanosuke sputtered, looking in disbelief.  
  
"You're really a wizard?" Yahiko finished, eyes moving back and forth from Kaoru to Kenshin.  
  
The fiery haired wizard nodded, as he slowly extracted the arrow from the younger magician's shoulder. He placed it to one side of the makeshift bed, took up a glistening piece of cloth from inside his garments, and began to stanch the bleeding.  
  
"But....pal....why...why didn't you tell us?" Sanosuke asked. "And I've known you for YEARS!"  
  
"Too much trouble for everybody," he answered. "Please get me a bucket of water."  
  
The young stableman complied, and fetched the water. Meanwhile, the wizard tapped the cloth, releasing pinches of magic dust into it and through to the wound. "It's too strong! It will take everything I have to undo this!" he murmured.  
  
Sanosuke returned with the water, Yahiko still gaping anxiously at his palefaced hag. "If...If you're a wizard, ol' pal, what the heck are you doing here with us? Why aren't you at the palace or something?"  
  
"Too complicated, Sano." He took the bucket from him, and quickly washed the cloth in the water. The water almost immediately turned black. "The poison is too strong, alright. Sano, throw this out on the street. Not on any plants; they will die in an instant. And...and...." He faltered and swayed. "And....get another bucket of water, hurry, please." He faced away from Kaoru and coughed.  
  
As Sanosuke went out again, Yahiko looked at Kenshin with concern. He quickly inspected his hands and noted a small wound. "I got nicked by the arrow," he explained with a faint smile, as he tapped again at the cloth and continued stanching the wound, wavering somewhat. "There is a special poison ivy that magicians know about, my little friend, the most powerful of its kind. It grows best in Lord Shishio's territory." He lost his grip on the cloth, coughed, and panted. "So it is truly he who is trying to invade the prince's domains." With difficulty, he placed the cloth back over Kaoru's shoulder and continued tapping.  
  
When Sanosuke returned, he carefully lowered the bucket before speaking. "Um...pal...you alright? Your hair....is acting weird."  
  
Indeed, the wizard's hair was going through all the possible shades of red, staying faded orange or auburn for minutes on end. Still, he wrung the cloth into the bucket of water, panted and coughed, and placed the cloth over her shoulder. "Just one more time, and.... the poison ....will be all gone. I...will not....let her....die....on my word of honor....I...will not....let her die."  
  
He gave the cloth a few more taps, before he collapsed over the hay.  
  
...........  
  
"You have done a good job cleaning this place up, Megumi," his majesty praised the current palace magician with a caress to her hair. "When Kaoru was around, bottles were all over the floor, and broken wands scattered throughout the room."  
  
"She was a rookie," she batted her eyes at the prince, and stroked his chin. "I'm more than a professional."  
  
"That's what I like to hear," he replied, and landed a kiss to her forehead.  
  
The snow prince had begged her to take him to her magician's quarters, eyes full of expectation of a pleasant evening away from the princess and other prying eyes. So far, Megumi had not favored him with an evening of full pleasure, even if he knew she was fully capable of doing so.  
  
In the magician's quarters, everything was organized and impeccable. Bottles to one wall, potions being made classified by type on a table, books on another wall. Even her bedroom was clean...and inviting.  
  
Despite Megumi's discreet efforts, the prince, Eyes of Malice firmly perched over his nose, could not be stayed. Something drastic had to happen to make him stop.  
  
Fortunately for her, something drastic did happen.  
  
From the corner of her eye, from the middle of her bookshelf, Megumi noted the consistent, unrelenting flashing of a particular book. It was rather thick, somewhat worn, but otherwise ordinary. But the flashing sent waves of concern over the magician.  
  
"Something the matter, my dear?" he asked with a purr and a hand at her waist.  
  
She wrenched herself free of the snow prince. "Forgive me, your highness, but there is a high-level emergency of the magician's guild. I really must go."  
  
His eyes glistened with evil longing. "I won't let you." He grabbed her and held her with an iron grip.  
  
Her eyes remained on the book, now flashing faster than before. She made up her mind. "I don't care what Aoshi does to me."  
  
She placed a hand over his forehead. "My sincerest apologies, your highness." She chanted.  
  
"Forgetful Slumber" sent the prince to the floor in a deep sleep. She placed a hand over his heart. "Temporary Overwrite: May you someday remember the goodness of your heart." Another spell brought him to her bed. "I will be back in a few hours, your majesty. But right now, if my hunch is correct, the fiery-haired wizard is in deep trouble....that heartless fiend Aoshi...."  
  
She grabbed the flashing book and teleported out of the magician's quarters.  
  
She materialized just outside the royal stables, and checked her book, still blinking furiously. She flipped through the pages in haste.  
  
The book was her copy of the official magician directory, and it was starting to make drastic changes to all lists. Flipping to the end of the directory, she gasped. A name blinked in and out of the obituary section. Kenshin. In the other pages, his name was also fading from the top of the lists.  
  
If there was a change due to promotion or demotion, the directory glowed at the particular section affected. A warm glow signified a happy change in the listings. However, if changes are because of an impending human loss to the guild, the book gave out warning flashes. If it was in the power of any guild member to alter a magician's fate, a flashing directory was a perfect time to do so.  
  
"I hope I'm not too late!" Megumi prayed, as she opened the stable gates.  
  
...........  
  
Kaoru slowly thawed out of the Deep Freeze spell. She had faith in the wizard, and fully expected to be alive. As she wiggled her toes and checked her shoulder, she thanked her good fortune in meeting him. She thanked his kindness, when she saw the cloth over her wounded shoulder.  
  
But where was he? And why had she managed to thaw out of the spell by herself? It was a cardinal rule: spells stayed in place unless a stronger one countered it, or something bad happened to the spellcaster. Did that mean......  
  
She looked down to the floor beside the bed. She found the hair of her wizard a very pale auburn, and the wizard himself lifeless beside a beautiful woman holding his hand.  
  
"Who...who are you?" she asked the woman peering anxiously over him.  
  
"Your replacement," she answered with haughty eyes. "It's good you're finally awake. Help me."  
  
"My...my....replacement?!" Kaoru's jaw dropped. Then she shook her head. Personal matters later. "Um..um....how....do I help you?"  
  
"I'm better than you, that's clear, but even at my level I don't know the ultimate recovery spell. That is the only thing that will save him now."  
  
"He managed to get rid of all the poison in your system," Sanosuke explained from beside them, "but he got some into himself, and it acted faster on him than it did on you."  
  
In the middle of her shock, Kaoru suddenly felt like she was no longer in control of herself. And not because of her shock.  
  
"Ultimate...recovery....is different for all magicians..." she began to drone without knowing why. "Because...everyone......has different....life experiences.....do you understand.....Megumi, milady?"  
  
Kaoru regained a little control. "Your name is Megumi?" she asked the magician.  
  
"Yes.....but this is the first time we have met, right?" Megumi confirmed.  
  
Kaoru fell again into a trance. "Recovery spell.....combination of words.....cannot....do it alone.....too long ago.....cannot remember them....."  
  
Megumi looked down at Kenshin, whose condition had not changed. "Transference?" she asked, as she looked up at the entranced Kaoru. "In his condition? Astounding!"  
  
"Tomoe....Tomoe......" Kaoru droned.  
  
"But that hag's name is Kaoru!" Yahiko interrupted, pointing at the hag.  
  
"That would mean....." Megumi fumbled around the wizard's clothes. "Where is it? The blue stone? Where is it?"  
  
"Left...pocket......milady.....please.....hurry....." Kaoru answered.  
  
Megumi quickly took out the sapphire from the pocket, and looked at it well. The woman of the stone eventually appeared. "So your name is Tomoe," she addressed the stone. She chanted. "Resurface the memories." She then placed the stone into his hand and held it tight. She addressed Kaoru, entranced or not did not matter. "Give me the words as they come." Kaoru nodded.  
  
The words came slowly, but earnestly.  
  
"White plums.......spring morning......summer afternoon........long silk hair, beside me..."  
  
"Good....good, keep going, Kaoru," Megumi encouraged.  
  
"These....are the words.....that bring me....to life."  
  
Megumi peered down at the stone, and saw the pretty smiling face of the woman inside. Then the woman disappeared.  
  
But Kaoru was still droning.  
  
"Cherry blossoms......summer day.....faith in what used to be......"  
  
Megumi looked down again at the stone. Seeing no change in the stone, she looked up at Kaoru, and saw a slight smile form in the wizard's face. She understood.  
  
"Trust in what I always will be.......these.....are the words......that bring me to life."  
  
With that, Kaoru was released from the trance, and the wizard's hair turned another shade lighter.  
  
Megumi spoke. "Waste no time, Kaoru. We're losing him quickly. Come down here, and hold the hand with the stone in it. Now repeat after me."  
  
"Alright," she answered.  
  
"White plums, spring morning, summer afternoon, she with long silk hair beside me: these are the words that bring me to life. Cherry blossoms, summer day, her faith in what used to be me, her trust in what I always will be: these are the words that bring me to life."  
  
A magic she did not know she had began to flow, from Kaoru to Kenshin, from the blue stone to the wizard. "Keep fighting, great wizard. You have to," she cheered him on, and continued chanting.  
  
As the words continued, as the energy flowed on, the color began to return to his hair and cheeks. Soon enough, his eyes fluttered open, and he began to mutter for himself.  
  
"Of love and of trust, no magic has stronger power. These are the words that bring me to life."  
  
He reached for the cloth, still on Kaoru's shoulder, and held it over his hand. "Poison Healing." He held it over his hands for five minutes, until the cloth was soaked in a black substance. He weakly waved a hand, and made the cloth disappear. The last of the poison had been removed.  
  
He smiled at Megumi and Kaoru, and bowed. "I thank you both, kind ladies. I owe you my life."  
  
"Thank you as well," Kaoru beamed back.  
  
"What?! No thanks for the guy who went to fetch water back and forth and got worried sick about my ol' pal?!" Sanosuke protested.  
  
"Of course, you have my thanks, Sano!" Kenshin chuckled.  
  
Kaoru weakly looked into Kenshin's eyes. "You thought of me before you considered yourself." She leaned on his shoulder. "You have a very kind heart, great wizard." She closed her eyes, and fell asleep.  
  
Megumi turned her back on them. "I used to look up to Aoshi that way," she sighed. She rose to depart.  
  
"Do not lose faith in him, milady," Kenshin replied. "He has not forgotten the past entirely. Thank you for all your help."  
  
"There is only one way you can thank me, great wizard," she said with clenched fist. "Destroy the Eyes of Malice."  
  
He gaped.  
  
"Swear to me you will do it!"  
  
"Milady?"  
  
"Swear! Or I will regret coming here!"  
  
He lowered his head. "I promise."  
  
"Good enough." She waved a hand, and dematerialized.  
  
............  
  
"Why can't you be as wonderful in bed as she, weasel?" the snow prince sneered at the princess the next morning.  
  
"Is that what you did at her quarters last night, Eni-chan?" Misao asked with terror. "What exactly did you do?"  
  
He cocked the evil spectacles well over his eyes. "You know what? I can't remember! But it doesn't matter, especially to you." He then walked away laughing at her ashen face. "Megumi was great...better than you ever will be!"  
  
Misao cried, and gritted her teeth at the palace magician standing a few feet away.  
  
"We did nothing last night, believe me, your highness," Megumi said. "I made up a story for him to tell. Hard as it might be to believe, I am on YOUR side."  
  
"LIAR! USER! You horrible vixen!" Misao screamed through the tears. "How could you possibly help my side?"  
  
"I just did; that's why I was away," the magician ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
"You just did!" Misao laughed with sarcasm full in her tone. "You?! Don't tell me you found the antidote to the Eyes of Malice, because that's the only way you could help right now! Don't tell me you just found the wizard of kind heart and fiery hair!"  
  
Megumi just looked her in the eyes for a few moments, then tossed her head. "You have no idea."  
  
...............  
  
My thanks for JML, CatH, AsianBaka, and Trupana (twice!) for the kind reviews. I'm so glad people still read Fire and Magic after SUCH a long time. Thanks again, and see you next time. 


	6. angry meetings and sad stories

Hello, everybody. I haven't forgotten about Taming a Tiger, but the idea I want hasn't come yet. It's constantly on my mind, don't worry. Thanks a lot to all my new readers for Fire and Magic, you keep me inspired to continue and to finish this little piece. Hope you like this new chapter. My thanks to Sabbie, JML, anri, Laurika, Sessha's Crazy, CatH, and Trupana.  
  
.............  
  
"Misao, open the door." The snow prince knocked at the princess' royal bedroom. "Please?"  
  
"So you could malign me a little more? No, Enishi, not anymore!" she answered from inside.  
  
The kingdom of the snow prince had been tormented by the Eyes of Malice for two weeks, now entering into the third.  
  
Word spread beyond the town and into the countryside. Much had changed in the palace. More than half of the servants were evicted for insensible reasons. Many trade negotiations had failed. Ambassadors had been treated badly, and could not be appeased. At least three neighboring states were now on the verge of declaring war on the snow prince.  
  
Rumors were spreading that Lord Shishio was unifying the neighboring counties, to eliminate Prince Enishi from the throne. It was well known that Shishio was not a kind master, either, but right now, anything was better than the icy snow prince. Everyone was willing to try anything.  
  
The princess had locked herself in her quarters over the last two days. She would have no more of his beatings, his taunts, his threats. She had chanted the Temporary Overwrite every half hour, and still it did not help the situation. As for the chief retainer, he was smiling more than usual, and in a creepy sort of way. The smile he had forced himself to keep, trying to console ruffled ambassador feathers, was now stuck on his face. Over the last few days, his left hand always gripped the handle of a concealed dagger.  
  
The magician's guild was not aware of the cause of the problem, because they were either too scared to face Enishi's wrath, or they were too far away to receive accurate information. Only four mages and two non- mages knew the root, but none of the four mages had done anything about it. Megumi and Kaoru did not have the requirements or the rank. Aoshi, as the spellcaster, would not break it. The wizard of fiery hair still faltered and waited.  
  
"I have to explain," the prince continued knocking. "Please let me in."  
  
"Then you will attack me," the princess retorted. "No way."  
  
"Let him in, your highness. I promise you it will be safe," another voice pleaded.  
  
"Soujirou? Megumi?" Misao looked around and saw nobody. "Where are you?"  
  
In the next instant, the bedroom was enveloped in a warm glow, and Misao was accompanied by two other people. She ran quickly toward one of them with a friendly embrace.  
  
"Kaoru! I never thought I would welcome the sight of you so much!" She looked at her companion, and gasped. The former palace magician had found a wizard of fiery hair. He bowed before her highness.  
  
"So....is Eni-chan already fine?" He was still knocking behind the princess' door.  
  
"I apologize, your highness, but I have only applied a stronger version of the Overwrite," the wizard answered. "There is something I have to get from Aoshi first before I can completely destroy the Eyes of Malice. I can only promise his highness will be reasonable and normal for all of today."  
  
"Why not everyday?"  
  
"It only works while I am around," he frowned.  
  
"So stay here, and help Kaoru be a good magician!" Misao was already hugging his knees.  
  
"I cannot, your highness."  
  
"Why ever not?"  
  
"Please let his highness in first, before he gets normal-self mad," he answered with a grin, and cloaked himself and Kaoru in invisibility.  
  
Misao shrugged, made herself a little more presentable, and opened the door.  
  
He entered silently, without the dreaded spectacles and with newly brushed hair. He closed the door behind him and slowly approached her. He treaded with even steps, with.....courtesy? Apologetic respect?  
  
The princess stood in place, and let him come. She neither advanced nor retreated. He had not been this way for so long, she did not know what to make of him now. So she neither rejected nor returned the embrace he gave at the next moment.  
  
"I am sorry for how I've been treating you, Misao," he began. "I know I've hurt your feelings, so now I'm apologizing."  
  
"I...don't know what to say, Enishi..." she looked up at a kind and handsome face she had not seen in a while.  
  
"Say you'll get dressed and join me for lunch?" he smiled.  
  
"Well...."  
  
The door swung open with a rush and let in the chief retainer. In his arms were a large pile of papers and quills. His normally smooth hair was tousled over his head. "I'm sorry, Misao-hime, but I need his highness to these papers signed in a hurry."  
  
"What about, Speedy?" Enishi asked calmly, much to the chief retainer's surprise.  
  
Soujirou began to pace all over the bedroom. "There's letters of apology to Lord Hiko, commission letters to Commander Saitou, trade agreements, negotia-----------UMPH!"  
  
The poor chief retainer suddenly knocked into something solid but wasn't there, scattering papers around him.  
  
"A mage!" The snow prince took out a dagger hidden under his royal coat. "Come out of hiding and identify yourself, mage! Are you friend or foe?"  
  
A few feet from where Soujirou sat rearranging his papers, magic dust glistened and a cloak appeared, revealing a man and a woman both in magician's clothes. The woman brandished a wooden sword before her against the dagger, until the man pulled her down. "Friend, your highness," the redhaired magician answered, as they both kneeled and bowed before him.  
  
"Kaoru!" He looked in surprise at the young lady. But as his eyes moved to the redhaired man, his face grew dark and angry. "Y....y.....YOU!"  
  
The fiery-haired wizard could only bow his head.  
  
"How DARE you show your face to me!" He said with burning eyes, as the other three watched in silence. Then he cooled down somewhat and his face formed a menacing smirk. "But I think I know why you're here."  
  
The prince walked to the veranda of the bedroom with a sarcastic chuckle. He turned his back on the railing, and spread out his arms. "Well, what are you waiting for?"  
  
The wizard looked up. His hands began to shake.  
  
"Well, isn't that what you're here for? To assassinate me?" the prince closed his eyes and smirked. "Do it, then. Do it, the way you killed my sister. It's just fitting."  
  
A long silence fell. The wizard had turned his back on the prince and faced the door. Kaoru thought she saw a tear trickle down from under the long auburn locks.  
  
"No? You won't kill me?" The prince walked to the door, and took a good long look at the wizard. "Get far away from here, Kenshin, before I change my mind and have you executed."  
  
"Enishi...." The wizard implored, as he stretched out an open palm.  
  
"None of that odd chant from you," he snapped. "I forgot the goodness of my heart for you, a long time ago." He slammed the door behind him.  
  
Misao and Kaoru looked at the fiery-haired wizard. He let out a sigh, then faced Misao and Soujirou.  
  
"My lord the chief retainer, make full use of this day, and get all necessary documents finished. Your highness, you as well should take advantage, and do everything you can for him. At the end of 24 hours, he will be back as he was. There will be no window periods." He took up his cloak, and gave a final bow. "I apologize for disappointing you. I will be back in two days. When I return, I will break the spell."  
  
"But, but...great wizard...." Misao interrupted.  
  
"Farewell, your highness." He waved a hand, and dematerialized, without taking Kaoru with him.  
  
Both women looked at each other, wondering what that was all about. Unfortunately, both shrugged.  
  
Kaoru curtsied to the princess. "I guess I better go after him first, your highness. I'll see you again as soon as I can."  
  
"Just tell him to hurry, alright?" Misao implored. Soujirou beside her also had the most imploring expression on his face.  
  
Kaoru nodded, and waved her wand over herself. "Over valley and over hill, bring me where Kenshin is, if you will?" She disappeared with a poof.  
  
She materialized five feet in the air over the entrance of the woods. Fully expecting to fall with a thud on the grass, she was surprised to drop into someone's arms. A redhaired someone, to be precise, just as surprised as she.  
  
She slapped her forehead. "I said, if you will, over a hill, not over Kenshin! I'll NEVER get teleportation exactly right! Argh!"  
  
The redhaired wizard chuckled, Kaoru still in his arms. "You have to focus on exactly where you want to land, milady."  
  
She pouted. "I wouldn't have had to teleport if you took me with you! Why did you suddenly disappear?"  
  
He put her down. "I apologize, Kaoru, milady, I totally forgot about you. It has been a while since I last saw Enishi....and he is still mad at me as ever...."  
  
"The snow prince? Why would the snow prince have a grudge against you? You're such a nice person!"  
  
"It is my fault why things are what they are right now."  
  
"You?" Kaoru looked at him with raised eyebrows. "How?"  
  
He sat on the grass, motioned for the young lady to follow suit. He took out his memory sapphire, and closed his eyes.  
  
"I have known Enishi and his family for many years now. His sister, is Tomoe," he began, and showed her the woman of the stone. "She was a mage, he is not. They have the same mother but different fathers. Her father used to be the one who topped those lists in the book, but he died of a terrible sickness. The king took to liking her mother, and made her the queen. It is from this union that Enishi was born.  
  
"Enishi's mother died when he was very young. Therefore, while there were numerous nursemaids and nannies, Enishi considered his half-sister as his mother. He would follow her everywhere, even when she entered the school for mages..and met me. He liked me well enough back then. I picked apples for him." He smiled. "He lived a pampered life, so he grew up rather spoilt, but he did not have an evil nature. But things got out of hand between him and me.  
  
He looked into the distance, and took a deep breath.  
  
"Tomoe and I had just graduated from school. Everything was quite in our favor; we were soon to be married. But we were commissioned to assist defending against an attack on the castle. The prince was beside me, under my protection.  
  
"I delivered electric blasts from one of the towers, as part of the army's special forces. I noticed one of the enemy soldiers had managed to climb one of the other towers, and was lowering a ladder for other soldiers. I was getting tired by then. The battle had worn on into the afternoon, so I think my eyes started to deceive me. Nonetheless, I aimed at the man on the other tower. And I fired the electric blast.  
  
"But I miscast the spell for the electric blast, and sent out a more dangerous one instead. I lost control of the blast, and it did not hit the target. Instead, it hit the person beside.  
  
"She never saw it coming. She was not able to teleport or float away. She fell from more than a hundred feet. She hit her head, broke her neck, died instantly.  
  
"Enishi saw the whole thing. Accident or not, he knew I was responsible. He first stared in disbelief at the ground where his sister lay, then back at me. He broke into tears and screams. He then told me, in his most royal tone, to leave the kingdom and never come back, because when he saw me again he would have my head cut off.  
  
"Thus, for the last few years, I have not actively practiced my trade, for fear of what I might do, and for fear that he will find me." He then gave the young lady a sorrowful smile.  
  
"But why did you stay in the kingdom?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"It was because of her," he looked at the stone again. "Her eyes begged me to keep an eye on him, even from a distance. Still, I wanted to forget about him, and about being a mage, so I lived as a stableman. What I knew about the prince, I learned from gossip. I did not need to use magic for that."  
  
Kaoru did not know what else to say. Now she understood why it took him so long to decide. He wanted to help. He could not simply muster enough of himself to do so.  
  
She took up his hand, and held it in her own. He did not object.  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes, both watching the sun but thinking about the magician beside. He then smiled, and stood up.  
  
"Thank you, milady. Now, come. We have to finish this."  
  
..........  
  
Well, that's it for this chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you come back! 


	7. fluffy clouds and silver trays

OH, my gosh..............this short fic is taking TOO long to finish. Sorry, but I haven't been getting ideas for this fic. For those of you who still remember Fire and Magic from late 2003, thanks for coming back. For any new readers, thanks for reading. Kinton clouds and one-minute dreams coming your way.  
  
..................................  
  
"Um, great wizard," Kaoru began with a tap at his shoulder.  
  
"Kenshin, may it please my lady," he smiled back. "Nothing has changed, understand?"  
  
She nodded, and continued. "That Ultimate Recovery thing, I was wondering..............would you teach mine?"  
  
Kenshin placed a hand on the cloud they were sitting on, and made it stop.  
  
Kaoru did ask at the onset why they were using a cloud for public transport into Lord Shishio's territory. She had fully expected a magic carpet, or a long teleportation. He laughed good-naturedly. "It's our associates in the Middle East who use the magic carpets, milady! They're too conspicuous and too expensive here. As for teleportation, it will require a lot of power, and we would be noticed." So he called down a nice fluffy little cloud, powdered a little pixie dust onto the cloud, and gestured for Kaoru to sit comfortably in the middle of it. He then sat beside her, and with a little twirl of his hand, they were off the ground.  
  
The other white clouds sailed along the clear orange sky, while their own remained stationary, as Kenshin looked intently at Kaoru.  
  
"Kaoru, milady, I will not let you die," he said.  
  
His face was so earnest, so determined, so courageous ---- it rather scared her to think what was going on in his mind. "Oh, of course, you will!" she laughed uneasily. She did not want to die, either! "I just asked for the spell, so when the time comes I would know it. Just a precaution, see?" She then laughed again, desperately trying to make the wizard loosen up.  
  
The fiery-haired wizard eventually smiled and sighed. "I understand. But I will keep my promise to you," he added as he patted her hand. "Do you have a memory jewel?"  
  
She shook her head. "I'm the first mage in my family."  
  
"No matter," he said. "Is there any thing you have with you that brings special memories?"  
  
Kaoru said no. "I would like to have that thing you used to save my life, though!" she asked nicely and cheerfully.  
  
"Good, we can use that," he said. He fluffed the little cloud, and it started sailing again eastward. From inside his coat, he took out the cloth he used to save Kaoru a few days back. He placed his other hand over Kaoru's forehead.  
  
"Now, milady, close your eyes, and remember the thoughts you want to keep."  
  
"About who?"  
  
"About anyone special to you. Someone you want to remember and see........even..........." he looked away, "even when that person dies."  
  
"Alright." She closed her eyes, and soon was drowsy, sleepy, fast asleep.  
  
She was back in the little cottage of the fiery-haired wizard. She watched him as he stirred the soup with a happy smile. She gazed at him from the table, as he approached with a bowl for each of them. She laughed and smiled, as he told him stories about the horses and the townspeople. She then walked with him to the stables, with her smiling at his happy face and bright red hair. When they got there, she took out an apron, and helped him and the other two stablehands rake out the hay. She, Sanosuke and Yahiko buried him in hay, and he reappeared with a silly smile and straw sticking out every which way from his fiery head.  
  
They laughed at his embarrassed face all the way home. She clearly saw how the little shack was full of their mirth that evening over beef stew. The day ended with her in the only bed in the shack, and he rolling out a mattress beside her. "It was a nice day, wasn't it?" she asked him. "Indeed it was," he answered, as he tucked her in.  
  
But when she awoke the next day, she was on the little cloud, staring at Kenshin's purple eyes.  
  
"It's ready, milady," he said, and showed him a new jasper in his hand. "It took only a minute. Very good, milady."  
  
"That was just a minute?! It felt like forever!" It all seemed so real, like she returned to that day and relived it.  
  
"Not only that," and he showed her his own memory sapphire. Now, it had little glimpses of Kaoru, as well as Tomoe. Those of Kaoru were of the same scenes she opened up in her dream. She was delightfully surprised.  
  
"Now, milady," he took up her hand, and placed the jasper in it. "Give me the words as they come."  
  
Oh! The same way it happened then! She looked at the stone, and watched the images that appeared. "Kindness.........contentment...............courage............protecting me..................."  
  
He looked at her. He did not think he had those traits! His face turned a shade closer to his hair. "Alright, then add............."  
  
"I know, 'These are the words that bring me to life.' " She continued on her own, "His fire and his magic guiding me: these are the words that bring me to life."  
  
"Now, the final words have to be chosen carefully.........."  
  
"I don't have to, I already know the words I want," she smiled, and chanted. "'Of love and of trust, no magic has stronger power. These are the words that bring me to life.' "  
  
He recognized his own final words, and smiled in return. "Those who know those words have the power of life and death over you, so be careful who you tell them to. Also, a high-level magician will be able to open your memory jasper and be able to get those words, so you have to guard this stone well."  
  
A high-level magician? "Well, then..........why did Megumi let ME do the spell on you? Why didn't she do it herself?"  
  
"I.........do not know, milady," he answered. "But since you were able to complete it, it shows that you have great potential as a mage."  
  
She? Kaoru? The palace former klutzy magician? The one who got fired for being a hopeless rookie? She knew he was the best in the books, but, but, should she believe him?  
  
"Yes, Kaoru, milady, you should," he answered her thoughts with a smile.  
  
"DON'T DO THAT!!" she protested.  
  
"Yes, milady," he bowed before her, then grew serious and pointed. "Get ready. We are almost there."  
  
Kaoru put on a determined face, as the cloud descended to solid ground. They had reached enemy territory.  
  
The sun had set as they arrived at the castle walls. The streets were already deserted, and windows were closed. It was as if, a great darkness had descended on the castle and all its holdings.  
  
Silently, the wizard positioned the mage behind him, and they walked on toward Aoshi's quarters.  
  
"Man, you could just feel the evil in this place........." Kaoru whispered, holding Kenshin's clothes tightly from behind. "Aren't we placing that invisibility cloak or something?"  
  
Kenshin said no. "Aoshi is somewhere here. If we use magic before we need it, it would make our presence known sooner than it should."  
  
But the black mage already knew. He was already reporting it to his lord with a bow.  
  
Seated on the throne was the lord of this realm, and beside him cuddled his queen. A rather handsome master he was, with well-brushed hair and clean- shaved face. He exuded power and pride with every movement. But his features also warned of great evil within the man's soul.  
  
"Kenshin is here, and he is with a female mage."  
  
"Why are you sure?" his highness asked, as he puffed at a pipe.  
  
"My lord, only the Crimson Master exudes that much power in his aura, even without executing spells," Aoshi explained.  
  
"Are you...afraid.....of him, the Crimson Master?" the lord asked, carefully examining his mage's face.  
  
But Aoshi's eyes were ice, and his mouth solid. "No. The Eyes of Malice are made to withstand even his own power."  
  
"Good. Deal with him personally, and finish him. The effect of your spell on Enishi is complete. We invade tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, my lord," and he disappeared from his presence.  
  
"Dearest," Yumi crooned beside Shishio, "until how long will Aoshi stay loyal to you?"  
  
His highness stroked her cheek. "You know as well as I that Aoshi's purpose is only to defeat the Crimson Master, and become the most powerful mage. When he has accomplished that goal, he will no longer serve me. But by then, I will have no need of him anymore. By then, all holdings will be mine, and everyone, mage or mortal, will have to obey me."  
  
Back in the other great palace that evening, the commander was reporting to the snow prince.  
  
"There are reports from our spies that Shishio is invading tomorrow," he said flatly, but seriously.  
  
"Let them come," Enishi answered nonchalantly, purple spectacles on his nose, the gleam of arrogance in his eyes. "We're ready for them."  
  
"No, we are NOT, highness. There are too few soldiers for the combined forces of three neighboring territories!"  
  
"Who cares? We have Megumi, and a few other mages in the territory, right? Where is that redheaded annoyance?" the prince smirked.  
  
"Megumi cannot do it alone, and if indeed the Crimson Master was seen in the palace recently, he could not be found now." Saitou harrumphed. "I refuse to answer to a man who does not see the gravity of the problem over his kingdom."  
  
But evidently the prince was no longer listening. "He is called the Crimson Master now?" He mused. "Saitou, why hasn't anyone hunted him down and eliminated him?"  
  
"Because we have no reason to do that, idiot!" Misao answered for the commander. She angrily pounded at the armrests of her throne. "Isn't it enough for you that 30 people have been executed unjustly? Will another man die for no reason?"  
  
"No reason? No REASON?!" the prince grabbed the princess by the collar and shook her. "That man killed my sister! I don't care if he is the most powerful. I don't care if he has family or friends. I don't care! He will pay for it with his life! He will pay!"  
  
"ENISHI! You've gone crazy!" Misao pleaded.  
  
"And if that mage has sided with Shishio, he will die with him!" he continued.  
  
"I have had it," Saitou declared. He drew a sword, and pointed it at the prince.  
  
Drawn by Misao's screams, the chief retainer and the palace magician dashed into the hall, and were in time to see the commander begin charging. Soujirou stopped Saitou, Megumi restrained Enishi. Misao was dropped, her eyes full of terror.  
  
The prince pushed away the magician will all the force he had, so hard that she almost hit her head. "Worthless woman, who would not even sleep with me. Do NOT try any of your spells on me."  
  
"Oh, yes, I will, your highness, for your good!" Megumi changed tactics, slowly and seductively drew close to the prince. "I don't like my favorite prince like this." She gave him a long and passionate kiss, much to the princess' chagrin. But she gave her a look of I-know-what-I'm doing. She delicately and deftly removed the purple glasses, and hid it inside her cloak, as she kissed him again.  
  
Finally, she stroked his unruly white hair, and placed a hand on his forehead. "Combination spell: Overwrite and Frozen Slumber. Maintained indefinitely until suspended."  
  
But nothing happened.  
  
Instead, the prince's hands went for Megumi's neck. "Another trick, aye? Not this time." He tightened his grip, until the woman began to choke. "Not ever again!"  
  
It took most of Megumi's power to cast the spell. She had none left to fight against the prince's heavy hands. She was too weak, and the grip was too tight. She went limp. The prince dropped her to the floor, barely caught by Misao.  
  
"Let me have his head, your highness," the commander seriously demanded of the princess, drawing his sword again. "All this malevolence has gone too far. If you do not do anything, we will lose the kingdom."  
  
"Does this mean you are declaring mutiny against me, Saitou?" Enishi glared.  
  
"No. I am declaring your execution!" And the commander charged again.  
  
This time the prince was ready for him, and drew his sword. The clash of metal was soon heard resonating in the halls.  
  
Misao grew very scared. Too much will happen soon, too much already happened in a few minutes. She had to do something. She lifted the lifeless Megumi up and sat her on the throne, then ran to a servant. Misao snatched the servant's silver tray and ran to the duelers.  
  
She took aim, jumped, and whacked the silver tray squarely over the snow prince's head. For added effect, she hit him with the tray at the stomach and under the jaw, then gave him a final whack on the head. He staggered, and fell to the floor. He was out cold, faster than any Overwrite could do.  
  
"MISAO!" Soujirou screamed in shock.  
  
It was only then that the princess realized the extent of her damage, and dropped the dented tray with a clang. She looked with horror at the top of his snowy head, now tinged with red, and at his mouth, which now had blood at the corners. "I.........I.............had to do it................Eni-chan.............I had to................you were too dangerous.................."  
  
Then she realized that she was now surrounded by Soujirou, Saitou, and a roomful of servants. As if all were awaiting orders. She rubbed away her tears, and lifted her head. Someone had to take charge. Enishi was in no condition to do it.  
  
"Sou.........Sou-chan..............in...........inform all the mages of the realm............we need their help...............Commander Saitou...............do what you can to be ready for invasion. For now........for now...........I'm in charge. Mary," she called for one of the servants, "go to the palace magician's place, and get the magician's directory. Find a way to warn Kaoru and the Crimson Master."  
  
Kenshin did not have to be told.  
  
"We have to hurry. We have to get back to the palace as soon as possible," he told Kaoru, as they hastily walked up the stone steps of a high tower, Aoshi's quarters.  
  
"But I thought you said two days," she said questioningly.  
  
"The Eyes of Malice have taken their full effect. We no longer have two days," he answered in a whisper between gritted teeth.  
  
"How........how in the world do you know?!" she raised her voice a bit in her surprise.  
  
"Feel it in you, milady," he said hastily, his hands in hers, and they continued.  
  
Kaoru sought her heart, while they kept running up the tower. She eventually noticed that something was different in what she felt around her. Something was wrong with more than one person she knew. She sought her heart a little more, and tried to understand. Finally, she knew it.  
  
"Megumi. And Enishi-sama."  
  
"Correct, Kaoru, milady."  
  
Now this was really beginning to creep out the magician. Not only was she being called a magician with great potential, now she was jiving with the brain of the greatest wizard! Something was not right with this picture. For that matter, something was not right with the flight of stairs they were climbing. It seemed like they were ascending it for too long, for a tower that was not too high.  
  
"So you have noticed it as well, milady," Kenshin smiled at her with approval. He stretched out his hand, and chanted, "Disillusion." The tower stairs disappeared, and the room of the black mage surfaced; a dark, orderly room, filled with books rather than bottles and loose spells.  
  
"Two minutes," the voice of the black mage came from the shadows. "Lost your touch, Kenshin?"  
  
"What in the--- isn't it big enough that he found out?" Kaoru shouted at the shadows.  
  
Kenshin stopped any more haranguing. "He is right, milady. It took me half a minute before." He then grew serious, and addressed Aoshi. "I have come for Enishi's turquoise and Megumi's ruby."  
  
"It is no use getting back the turquoise," Aoshi said, and stepped to the light. "It is at full power now."  
  
"I know," Kenshin replied. "Nevertheless, I will stop you."  
  
"Just try."  
  
Aoshi took out a wand, Kenshin readied his hands.  
  
"What happened to you, Aoshi?" Kenshin asked.  
  
The black mage raised his wand overhead. "I lost to you."  
  
He fired a straight electric blast.  
  
...............................  
  
Sorry if Crimson Master isn't exactly an imposing title. Couldn't think of anything nicer. I actually thought of maroon wizard earlier, but that sounded awful. Anything with magenta in the title sounded bad too. ^^ Hope you liked this. Thanks for reading! Hope to see you soon! 


	8. finding jewels and fighting sorcerors

Hiya. JML, my sincere thanks, you have no idea. I don't know what's happening to me, but I guess my better days at ff.net are over. ^^ I've been out of practice and inspiration. I know this isn't my best work, and for that I apologize. Thanks everyone for coming back to read this, faults and all.  
  
..............................  
  
"You WHAT?!"  
  
Misao was wringing her hands and looked ready to weep at any moment. "I..........I..............whacked him on the head..........and I.............and that's why...................so he's.............."  
  
Megumi woke up in one of the royal bedrooms. Being told what happened soon after she fainted, she dashed to the prince's quarters. She found him unconscious in bed, surrounded by the princess and the chief retainer. His head was bandaged, and his face was blue and purple in several places.  
  
"What in the------"  
  
Soujirou was moving back and forth, helter-skelter, fixing documents for delivery to hither and yon that same evening. Messengers and servants popped in and out of the bedroom door, awaiting and receiving orders. Soujirou also went and left Misao, consulted with her and reported new developments. Despite the panic in her face, her eyes had a fire the palace magician had never seen before, as she took control.  
  
The whole palace was awake, except for its master, readying for the worst.  
  
It was now two hours before midnight.  
  
"MISAO!" Megumi exclaimed. "Your majesty! I can't believe you DID that!"  
  
Misao bobbed up and down before Megumi. "I know, I know, I feel miserable about it, but he was about to kill you, and he was fighting Saitou, and he was getting crazier by the minute, sorry, but I know you like Eni-chan, so feel free me to strangle me or something.........."  
  
"Your highness, I actually want to congratulate you," Megumi giggled, the back of her hand over her pursed mouth. "The stupid snowman deserved what he got."  
  
"Why you------" the princess raised a fist.  
  
Megumi continued her classy giggling. "Don't kid yourself, your majesty! Good job! Couldn't have done better!"  
  
She was right. Misao soon joined her in the laughter.  
  
Then Megumi grew serious. "Thank you, your majesty."  
  
"Anytime!" And they shook hands.  
  
The Eyes of Malice was still safely in Megumi's clothes. But its terrible work was already complete. The only spell that would work now was the spell that would destroy the Eyes of Malice. It was indeed better for everybody that, for the moment, its victim can cause no further damage.  
  
Meanwhile, the black mage created a force field around himself and the redhaired wizard. Kaoru was just beyond its boundaries, behind Kenshin.  
  
"Let us begin," Aoshi said simply, and positioned his wand before him.  
  
The wizard did not answer, and placed his hands in defense.  
  
A few minutes of intense silence. Kaoru knew from school that this was the time the combatants assessed each other's capabilities. Each looked well into the eyes of the other.  
  
"You hated Lord Shishio, back in school, you and Megumi," the redhaired wizard began. "Why are you working for him?"  
  
"Similar interests," his opponent said. "He wanted control over the snow prince. I wanted to snuff you out from hiding. One spell can do both."  
  
"And you actually surrendered your principles, just to get to me? I am not worth it, Aoshi."  
  
The black mage gritted his teeth. "Enough talk."  
  
With a flick of the wrist, he fired the first electric blast.  
  
Kenshin circled his hands in front of him and shielded the blast. Without changing the placement of his hands, he made a little fireball and shot it.  
  
Soon the fighting became fierce, and the room shone with unnatural brightness from all the blasts.  
  
Poor Kaoru did not know what to do. She was lousiest at firing electric blasts. Even if she was not so lousy at it, the force field prevented any interference from her. But maybe, while the Aoshi fellow was distracted, maybe she could..........  
  
"Um............Kenshin..............." Kaoru tried to interrupt the furious exchange of magic blasts between the black and red mages. Some were so fast that Kaoru did not know from where the blast came.  
  
"Talk here, milady," he said, straight into Kaoru's head. "It will be a bit harder for Aoshi to tap into telepathy while fighting me."  
  
"WHAT?!" Kaoru asked aloud, and eyes bulged. Telepathy?! That was a high- level skill! Transference was weird enough as it was! Maybe Megumi could do telepathy, but not her! No way!  
  
"I understand," Kenshin answered her thoughts. "Right inside pocket. Try your best."  
  
Aoshi twirled the wand and fired a light blast at her, pinning her to the floor. "Do not disturb us, woman." He then pointed the wand at the ceiling, and dislodged a stone directly above Kenshin. The redhaired wizard created a defense field just in time to avoid a severe blow to the head.  
  
"Mind block, milady," he talked to her head. "Do it!"  
  
"SHOULD you really be talking to me right now?!" she asked aloud.  
  
"Hurry!" Kenshin finally shouted back.  
  
Kaoru nodded.  
  
It was not going to be easy, but with the life of both redhaired wizard and snowhaired prince at stake, she was going to try.  
  
She closed her eyes, knit her brows, and concentrated. Focus on the head, focus on the head, focus on the head..........got it! "Mind Block!" she chanted. She felt a swirl of magic surround her, and it was complete.  
  
"Kenshin! Did I do it right?" she called out. "Kenshin? KENSHIN!"  
  
He did not answer, aloud or telepathically. His opponent clenched his teeth with a glance at her, but otherwise did not do anything. She did it right!  
  
Now to help the wizard of fiery hair. Focus, Kaoru. You can do it only once, and you have to do it perfectly right. Focus. Right inside pocket, right inside pocket...........  
  
The duelists were equally powerful. All blasts were blocked efficiently at either side, and all shots were evaded. And all verbal warfare was even.  
  
"Your eyes have lost the power they used to have," Kenshin finally commented. "They have been replaced, by vengeance."  
  
Aoshi remained silent.  
  
"I respected you, back then, when we were in school," he continued. "You were actually better than me at spellcasting. What happened?"  
  
"I wanted to defeat the master," the black mage answered.  
  
"I do not understand," the other replied.  
  
"Even in school you were considered a master of the craft," he explained. "You did not realize the pressure you caused for children of guild magicians."  
  
Students such as Aoshi and Megumi came from a long line of respected mages, and there were plenty of them in the school, the redhaired wizard knew that. But surely it was not his fault that he excelled in school! Back then he did not even think so much about what others thought of him. He was perfectly happy with Tomoe, and she with him.  
  
The black mage continued. "My family had a reputation to maintain. I lost the chance to graduate with top honors because of you. The only way I can return with my head held high, is to defeat you." He threw a fire dart.  
  
"The honors meant nothing to me," his opponent answered, maintaining a defensive pose. "Especially after Tomoe died. The honors meant nothing to me."  
  
"But it meant a lot to others." He misfired an electric blast.  
  
Kaoru was still focusing. Right inside pocket, right inside pocket, right inside pocket............  
  
Both sides were weakening, and were beginning to make mistakes. Aoshi began to pant, while Kenshin's red hair had turned a shade lighter.  
  
"This is .............pointless, Aoshi........." Kenshin entreated. "Do you actually want a kingdom to topple, just because you have a grudge on me?"  
  
"If necessary," Aoshi said.  
  
Now she was ready.  
  
She held out her hand, and closed her eyes. "Turquoise and ruby in the right inside pocket of the black mage's cloak, come to me."  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Please?"  
  
Still nothing.  
  
"Shucks, there must be a set of words for this, but since I'm on Mind Block, I can't ask Kenshin. What to do...........!"  
  
There was a spell she could do, but she did not know if she could handle it. Better something than nothing. She took a chance. She held out both hands, and positioned a palm at each combatant.  
  
"Freeze!"  
  
The spell worked, much to Kaoru's shock. It froze both mages in their places and disabled the force field around them.  
  
She lost no time, ran to the black mage, fumbled in his cloak's right inside pocket. She quickly took out the two memory jewels inside, and ran back behind Kenshin.  
  
"Un-freeze! Thaw! Defrost! Whatever!"  
  
Evidently one of the words worked, because Kenshin faced her with a big smile. "Not the technique I expected, but well done, milady."  
  
The black mage was awestruck. "Tricked by an ordinary mage........."  
  
"I know I'm ordinary! Don't rub it in!" Kaoru shouted at him.  
  
"I apologize, Aoshi, but we must continue this some other day," Kenshin bowed. "We must go back to the palace as soon as possible."  
  
"I will not let you."  
  
With a flick of the wand, he encased the mages in another force field.  
  
Outside the palace, military morale was at an all-time low. They did not see the point in defending an unjust, unfair, and unreasonable prince. By now prices were unnaturally high, trade was dreadfully slow, crime was rampant, and discontent was great. Everyone wanted him out of the throne, as soon as possible.  
  
"You don't understand!" Soujirou tried to motivate the troops with an unconvincing smile. "His highness has been tricked! He has not been himself for some time, so please be patient. We are trying our best to get things back to normal."  
  
"Let him say that to us himself!" the troops cried.  
  
"Um.............well, you see............his highness is indisposed right now..............."  
  
"How are we supposed to believe you? Are we even supposed to be believe that we're about to be invaded?"  
  
Soujirou sighed. "This is a very problematic situation............."  
  
The problematic situation was getting worse in the palace, for the prince was awakening.  
  
Misao readied one of the bedroom's heavy books, Megumi readied her hands. "WHERE is that rookie and the redhead?!" the latter asked. "What's taking them so long?!"  
  
"Allow me to show you, Megumi," a voice answered.  
  
A man all dressed in black materialized in the room.  
  
"Aoshi!" Megumi paled.  
  
He grabbed her by the wrist, and threw a cloak over her and himself. They dematerialized before the dreadfully frightened Misao.  
  
"Don't leave me, Megumi!" she pleaded at thin air. "What am I supposed to do with HIM?!?"  
  
For she was glued to her spot, trembling at the sight of Enishi. "Yes, indeed, what will you do with him now?" He asked with icy sarcasm. "Try to kill him with a serving tray again? Or maybe try some other dubious technique?"  
  
It was not the sarcasm that was terrifying. It was his eyes that made her quake in her shoes. Now, they were really and truly, the eyes of malice. They were filled with anger, arrogance, vengeance, evil.  
  
"I never knew you hated me so much, my dear princess," he growled as he drew nearer to her. "I should have paid more attention." He drew closer as she moved back. "I should have had you executed a long time ago."  
  
Misao's back met the wall of the bedroom. He placed his hands to the wall over her, and peered down with maniacal amusement at the cold sweat beading her forehead.  
  
"But before I kill you, I'll take your soul."  
  
With one hand, he held her throat. With the other, he began to unbutton her bodice.  
  
This was not the snow prince at all. This was not even a man. This was a monster.  
  
She screamed. "Somebody.........HELP!!!"  
  
...............................  
  
Sorry, I really didn't intend Aoshi to look this bad in this story. ^^ It just turned out this way, I'm really sorry. Thank you for reading. Two more chapters left. Maybe three. At any rate this is ending soon. Hope you come back. 


	9. crystal balls and true hearts

I realize from Maho Tsukai Tai that real magic spells should be in Latin. Unfortunately the only Latin I know are roots, prefixes, and suffixes to English words. I can only use English, sorry! By the way, I do recommend Maho Tsukai Tai. It's really cute, and if only Abe would see reason and be a man, everything about it is so nice. ^^ A little on the mushy side, but mush never hurt anyone, right?  
  
Thanks for coming back. Hope you like this next chapter.  
  
...................................  
  
Kaoru pounded and kicked at the force field imprisoning herself and the redhaired wizard.  
  
"Save your strength, milady," Kenshin told her, calmly seated on the floor. "He will be back shortly."  
  
"We should be gone when he returns!" she continued kicking.  
  
Unfortunately Aoshi materialized just then, and Megumi with him. He opened a small hole in the force field and pushed in the snow prince's magician.  
  
Megumi did not let them ask the question in their heads. "It's not good back in the castle. The prince is on a rampage. We managed to stop him for a few hours, but he's awake again. I'm afraid of what will happen to the princess." She pounded at the field herself, and screamed at the black mage. "You heartless fiend! The man did you no wrong! He did not deserve to be hated by his people!"  
  
The black mage looked them silently.  
  
"I stayed with you, because I believed in you!" she continued. "Now, I only obey you because I fear you. I want things the way they were before!"  
  
"Too late, Megumi," he answered.  
  
"It's not too late!" she pleaded. "Let's go somewhere far from here, far from bad memories, far from a family that rules your life! You can be your own man! And I'll be with you!"  
  
Aoshi turned his back on the prisoners, and looked through the tower window, at the soldiers readying for battle.  
  
"I just wanted to stay with him, when everyone ignored him, when everyone saw only you," Megumi sulked. "Why did it have to be this way?" She then knelt and allowed two streams of tears to fall.  
  
Quietly, Kenshin took Megumi's hand, and placed her memory ruby in it.  
  
She looked at it with wonder, and embraced the wizard. She held it tightly, and placed her other hand on a wall of the force field. "The ruby was the last hold he had on me. Now, he can't stop me. I have been in this force field before; I know what to do." With a determined face, she chanted. "Jailbreak."  
  
Aoshi was too late to counter it. He turned around to see the field glow a bright yellow and inflate to bursting. The force field shattered, and released the prisoners.  
  
Megumi stood in front of the other two mages. "Goodbye, Aoshi." She waved her hand in a wide circle, and all three disappeared from his presence.  
  
The black mage bowed his head, and contemplated.  
  
Misao kicked and screamed, as the monster above her continued to undo the buttons and laces of her gown. "GET OFF ME!"  
  
"I have to thank you for the many times you deceived me, and for almost killing me tonight," he hissed. He tore at her petticoat.  
  
"Remember the kindness of your heart!" she chanted desperately.  
  
"That doesn't work on me anymore!" he laughed above her.  
  
"Maybe this will!" and she gave him a powerful kick in the groin.  
  
The prince cowered in pain, while the princess pushed him away and ran to the door. She shut the door behind her, and locked the prince in his bedroom. Then she flopped to the floor in the hall, her back to a wall. She simultaneously laughed in relief and cried in terror. She had a blank stare, a pale face, and an insane smile. Her gown was torn in too many places.  
  
It was then that the three mages materialized before her.  
  
As Kenshin and Kaoru looked at the princess in alarm, Megumi dropped to the floor on hands and knees, exhausted from the teleportation.  
  
"Who did this to you?" Kaoru bent down and hugged the princess. Misao pointed at the door with a shaking finger.  
  
"Your highness," the wizard bowed before her, "with your leave, I will see him now."  
  
"Are you sure about that?" the princess asked, still breathing heavily and sweating cold beads. "I don't know the man in there anymore!"  
  
"Precisely why I have to get in there, milady."  
  
"But if I open the door, he'll charge out!"  
  
He did not answer. He just passed THROUGH the door.  
  
The ladies looked at each other and the door, speechless.  
  
But their expressions turned to fright as they heard shouts and clanging from just beyond the door. Worse, they heard furniture being overturned, as more shouts came from inside.  
  
Kaoru stepped forward, and put her hand to the doorknob. "I'm going in. He needs our help."  
  
"Are you crazy, Kaoru?!" Misao held her dress from behind.  
  
Megumi stepped forward as well. "If you do go in, rookie, take me with you."  
  
Kaoru nodded, and turned the knob.  
  
"Don't leave me!" Misao pleaded, entering cautiously behind Megumi.  
  
The ladies found the bedroom topsy-turvy, Enishi at one corner and Kenshin at another. Pillows and books were scattered between them. Only a defense field prevented the fiery-haired wizard from being hit by the various swords and daggers thrown at him.  
  
"Why is his majesty so angry at the Crimson Master, anyway?" Megumi asked.  
  
"They go a long way," Kaoru explained, looking at the prince and not recognizing him. The classy man was all but gone, replaced by someone with tattered royal clothes and a terrifying vehement demeanor.  
  
But she did notice that he was not wearing the dreaded Eyes of Malice, and guessed at who had them. "Megumi, let me have the glasses."  
  
The palace magician took out the spectacles from her cloak and gave it to her. Kaoru thanked her, took out the turquoise from her inside pocket, and ran to Kenshin. She quickly gave both objects to him and returned to the far corner of the room with the other two women.  
  
"My thanks, milady," he said, as he took the memory turquoise in one hand and the purple spectacles in the other.  
  
The wizard looked the prince in the eyes. "Initiating invalidation sequence........."  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, you redheaded murderer," the prince countered, "magic no longer has effect on me! I'll kill you here before you cast another spell!"  
  
But as he threatened, his eyes aligned completely with the wizard's, and the initiating spell connected. The prince froze in place.  
  
The wizard began to glow, and began to chant. "I am Kenshin, a descendant of those born of fire. I shall break the curse on Enishi, prince of the realm. I am removing the Eyes of Malice."  
  
It was as if the heavens gave permission to the execution of the spell. The prince fell into a trance, and floated a few inches off the ground, before the wizard.  
  
Kenshin held both objects in front of him. "Restore the stone to its original state." The spectacles glowed and cracked. Soon little fragments passed from the glasses to the turquoise. After a lot of fragments had returned, the stone gave out a nice warm radiance, then dropped back into the wizard's hand. With a smile, he placed the turquoise into his pocket.  
  
He held the remnants of the Eyes of Malice, and turned it into a small crystal ball. He floated it between himself and the entranced prince, then positioned his hands in front of it. "Eliminate the evil."  
  
A glow passed from the wizard's hands, through the crystal, and to the prince's heart. The prince convulsed from the initial volley of magic, and as the curse reacted to it. Dark substances began to leave the prince from all points of his body. Soon the crystal ball started to fill with all the dark substances.  
  
This was the longest phase of the spell, and it drained the most out of the wizard. After five minutes of holding the position, the crystal ball was only a quarter filled, and already the wizard's hair was flickering. The wizard himself began to breathe heavily and sweat profusely.  
  
Kaoru realized that without help, Kenshin would be unable to complete this long phase of the antidote spell. He was already weakened by the fight with the black mage. Megumi, while of higher rank, was also weak right now. There was only one thing to do, and she had to do it.  
  
"Megumi, what do you call that spell, where you pass your power to another mage?" she asked.  
  
"Transfer," Megumi answered. Kaoru nodded and ran to the redhaired wizard.  
  
She stretched out her hands, her palms facing Kenshin's back. She closed her eyes, and cast the spell. "To the Crimson Master, Transfer!"  
  
A glow appeared out of her hands, which became a light passing from her hands into the redhaired wizard.  
  
The added power restored the color to the wizard's hair, and increased the power he released from his own hands. The crystal began to fill just a little bit faster.  
  
Another five minutes passed. Still the ball was not full.  
  
"Aoshi will hear from me," Megumi clenched her teeth, "I swear he will!"  
  
"All that evil," Misao gawked at the ball, not three-quarters full yet, "crammed into just one man? I'll kill that Shishio personally! I'll kill him!"  
  
But as both looked at Kaoru, vengeance turned to deep concern. The magician was heaving and staggering. The magic that came out of her was released more slowly and in intervals. She was reaching the end of her power.  
  
Two more minutes passed. The ball was finally getting full. The prince was beginning to look more like his normal self, as he floated. The wizard still had full control, but the magician behind him was panting hard.  
  
"Pull back, rookie!" Megumi pleaded. "It's too much for you! Pull back!"  
  
"Not...........just yet, Megumi," she answered as she panted. "He............He's not finished yet............" She took a deep breath, and chanted, "Continue the Transfer...............as long as it takes." Her magic came out more evenly afterward, but still with difficulty.  
  
Thankfully, it only took another minute.  
  
At just the moment Kaoru felt she could hold it no longer, the magic from Kenshin's hands stopped flowing, and the glass ball between wizard and prince stopped glowing. "Disintegrate!" the wizard chanted, and the ball with its contents broke into a million pieces. Another wave of a hand collected all the fragments and made them disappear.  
  
Finally, the wizard of fiery hair placed his hands over the prince's heart, and made the finishing spell. "I have removed the heart of malice and the eyes of hate. Return to your true heart."  
  
The wizard released the snow prince from the trance and stepped back. Kaoru dropped to her knees with relief.  
  
The prince screamed as he gripped his head tightly, and curled up on the floor from some pain in his head. Finally, he stopped moving, eyes open and blank.  
  
Megumi ran to the mages, Misao ran to the prince, and asked the same question: "Are you alright?"  
  
Kenshin nodded. "Although, I could not believe I am still standing." He looked behind him, and stared in shock at Kaoru, pale and faint.  
  
The prince blinked a few times, then held his head as he stood up. "Aside from a terrible splitting headache, I'm fine." He looked around. "Where are Soujirou and Saitou? You all were saying something about an invasion?"  
  
Misao scolded the man. "That's only one of your problems! The whole kingdom wants you dead! If I didn't know about the Eyes of Malice, I would want you dead myself!"  
  
Enishi took a good look at his princess, clothes torn by his hand, and took a step back. "I...........I..........did this to you..........I..........can't even..........apologize..........for this............Misao........." He shook a fist in the air. "I WILL have Shishio's head! Exasperating nuisance! Just get Speedy for me, and somebody call back Saitou!"  
  
He was still hard to live with, but he was back to normal.  
  
"Enishi-sama!" Kaoru greeted weakly.  
  
"Nice to see you again, raccoon," he smirked at the magician.  
  
She smiled back slightly at the prince's hazy image. "You're............back............your highness..............I'm............glad." She began to fall forward. "I'm................gl---"  
  
Kenshin managed to catch her as she fell. He saw her eyes had closed, and that her breathing was slow and relaxed. He lowered himself, and rested her head on his lap.  
  
"Will she be alright?" Megumi asked, feeling just a little faint herself.  
  
"She just went to sleep, milady." He looked down at her peaceful and smiling face. "She put too much into the Transfer. She will be fine after she has rested." He stroked her long and flowing black hair. "Thank you, Kaoru."  
  
Misao looked around at the three mages, all weakened by great exertion of power, and glared at Enishi. She darted at him, took him by the collar, and yanked him down to her level.  
  
"Take a good look, Enishi. Take a good look at them! They risked their lives to save you! You, who have only been cruel to them, normal or not. You, who never thought of other's feelings! And you have nothing, absolutely nothing, to say to them?!"  
  
He looked at them as she asked, and lowered his head. "I............I............have nothing to say."  
  
"Did you not understand what I said?!"  
  
"Oh, I understood," he answered sadly. "I have nothing to say, sufficient to thank them. Especially Kenshin."  
  
Kenshin slowly shook his head with a smile. "No thanks necessary, your---"  
  
"Enishi, like before," the prince interrupted.  
  
Kenshin nodded, and returned his memory turquoise. The prince resurfaced the memories for a few minutes, and watched his sister and him playing as children. He smiled as scenes of a picnic between him, his sister, and Kenshin appeared.  
  
He gripped the turquoise tightly in his hand, and took on a look of determination. "I will not have another war, like the one that killed my sister. I will stop the invasion from happening." He took out his sword and other princely clothes. He opened the bedroom door. "Come, Misao, I have to undo a lot of things...........beginning with the mess in the bedroom.........."  
  
...........................  
  
Almost done, almost done. JML, again, my thanks. Thanks for reading, and I hope you come back! 


	10. sappy scenes and mushy endings

So here this little summer piece ends. It took two summers and a semester break, and I'm glad it's over. Thanks to everybody who read and reviewed this piece. I know it's not my best work, but I was happy to have this idea run in my head. It was okay practice for making something close to original fiction, which I eventually want to do. Thanks again. I hope you like this. 7 MSWord pages! Personal record! ^^  
  
............................  
  
"Discontinue the invasion."  
  
The lord of the opposing realm was rudely awakened in the middle of the night, to this order. His lady groaned beside him for the disturbance.  
  
"You will lose."  
  
"Get a woman, Aoshi," his highness grumbled.  
  
The black mage folded his arms.  
  
With a final grumble, the lord sat up in bed and looked at him sternly. "We will continue as planned, even if you failed in your part. Do you understand?"  
  
Aoshi bowed respectfully.  
  
But he considered. There was one final thing he could do. Without explanation, he disappeared from before Shishio.  
  
.......................................  
  
In the palace of the snow prince, a figure materialized. It appeared beside Kaoru, fast asleep in one of the royal bedchambers. It dropped a pill into her mouth, then dematerialized.  
  
........................................  
  
What seemed like the sleep of ages was only two hours. It was not much, but Misao felt very rested, more rested than she had felt in weeks. For the first time in many days, she felt totally relaxed to sleep in the same palace with the snow prince. It was a wonderful feeling.  
  
She slipped into her bathrobe, and looked around for the prince.  
  
She found him in the library, poring over plans and models of the palace and its surrounding fields. She walked to the table where he was, and let it separate him and her. She could not bring herself, yet, to come really close to him and kiss him. After all, it was only a few hours ago that he was over her and almost tearing her apart.  
  
He looked up at her, as dawn began to appear. "What is it?"  
  
She was worried about him, despite all that. "I.....uh..............aside from that whack on the head earlier tonight, have you had any sleep?"  
  
"Been asleep too long," he answered, as he peered down at his plans.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Already talked to Saitou," he continued, without looking at her, "and patched things up, as much as things can be patched up with that man. Speedy has been here as well, and he's now dealing with those magicians you asked him to get."  
  
"You're not answering my 'huh?', Eni-chan!"  
  
"Oh.........OH," he looked up again, and answered. "The last few weeks and months? They were like a long dream that turned into a nightmare. I've been asleep too long. Now, if you will excuse me, weasel, I have to work. Get back to bed."  
  
"How can a person sleep, when her kingdom is about to be taken over?!" she asked with much exasperation at his cool.  
  
"That's my problem, not yours. I caused all this. Now go."  
  
"Alright................oh, and Eni-chan..........."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Remember the kindness of your heart," she grinned.  
  
"Am trying."  
  
..........................................  
  
After three hours rest, Megumi was up again, and paced the bedroom they were placed in. The sun was rising quickly over the mountains.  
  
"You have to get more sleep, Megumi, milady," she heard the fiery- haired wizard behind her.  
  
"Look who's talking," she replied with a grin. "Eight hours is the ideal amount of sleep, in order to return to full power. You should know that."  
  
"I know, milady, but we will be needed soon, using whatever power we do have against Lord Shishio." He looked behind him at Kaoru, still in bed. "At least, you and I have learned to control our use of power, unlike her. I will teach her that in time."  
However, she was very still, not tossing or turning. And she looked almost like a corpse.  
  
"Something is wrong," he said gravely.  
  
Megumi peered down at Kaoru as well. "I don't understand. She's sleeping peacefully enough, she's breathing normally. What could possibly be wrong?"  
  
"I have only read about it; I have never seen the spell executed," he said with pale face. "But there is a rare spell that locks a victim in a sleep state, even when she wants to already awaken. Unless the spell is broken, it can stay for years on end. One extreme case is............"  
  
"The legend of the sleeping beauty........." Megumi understood, and also paled.  
  
"A less extreme case is that legend of Snow White. Now you understand. I only know of one other mage studious enough to know the spell."  
  
"Aoshi." She began to fume.  
  
"Yes."  
  
For a few minutes Megumi conjured up a speech to give the black mage, when she suddenly remembered. "Um, Kenshin......I may not know the spell, but I know the legends. Correct me if I am wrong. The only way to undo the spell is to ---- "  
  
Kenshin lowered his head, and grew red at the cheeks. "Yes, milady. You are correct."  
  
A rap was heard at the door, and the chief retainer entered. "Wow, you two are up earlier than we expected!" He gave a wide grin as he bowed low to them. "Are you ready?"  
  
The redhaired wizard looked with concern at the bed, took on a brave face, and answered for them both.  
  
"Don't worry, it seems like we have the support of almost the whole guild!" Soujirou added happily, waved then dashed away. "See you later!"  
  
"I wrote a memorandum inside the directory, and explained the situation." Megumi explained. "It's the fastest way to communicate."  
  
"Very good," Kenshin said. "Let us go." He looked again at the sleeping mage, hesitated for a moment, then spoke with resolution. "We will come back to undo the spell on her."  
  
They both teleported to the main hall.  
  
...................................  
  
Magicians keep the secrets of their trade very secret. But everything else is open for gossip.  
  
For instance, the fact that Eyes of Malice was successfully used caused the assembled mages to wonder just who was good enough to do it. Of course, the commenting ruffled some feathers that should not have been ruffled. Veterans were annoyed to have been beaten, newcomers pushed and shoved for the privilege to know that mage. Yet other circles discussed the political implications of the spell, and others debated its moral overtones. Most of them did think that using the spell on the prince was an underhanded tactic.  
  
In any case, all the chatter came from a message all members of the guild received from their directory, written by one of the higher-level mages, the daughter of a respected scholar. She did not give the name of the errant mage, but she described and explained everything else. She finally said that it was the prince of the realm who was the victim, and the errant mage who cast it was working under the lord of the opposing territories.  
  
The message came at the heels of another, requesting assistance against that lord. They were all eager to assist.  
  
It is to Lord Shishio's disadvantage that Enishi, as a matter of policy, tolerated mages fairly well within his holdings. There was only one he disliked with his all; everyone knew that. Thus, when the prince himself appeared before them, just outside the palace, they made obeisance. Eyes of Malice intact or not.  
  
The more powerful ones among them did notice that it was already deactivated, and sighed with much relief. Then they realized – he who deactivates the Eyes of Malice, is a very powerful mage indeed. And one of the very few remaining of the descendants of fire. Now, they buzzed. Is he here? Is he among us? What is his rank? Who is he?  
  
"Save your praises and questions for after the battle," the prince interrupted. "I have given the battle arrangement to the chief retainer. You will report to him, and he will assign your places depending on your strengths." He then walked away.  
  
"I can tell you right now," Soujirou whispered with mischievous eyes. "His name is Kenshin........."  
  
The mages buzzed again. Kenshin? Best in his class? The top-ranker! The Crimson Master? He's here? We thought he was dead! Where is he? Where is he? Raise his rank! Raise his rank! Even higher! Of course, we'll fight on his side!  
  
Soujirou grinned. "I knew I was right to tell them." He then skipped off.  
  
Megumi and Kenshin bowed before the prince, and requested their assignments.  
  
"Healer, I think that is what it's called, for Megumi. Stick to physical ailments, though, my dear. You might deplete your magic again. Primary royal guard, for the Crimson Master." He smiled sadly at Kenshin. "Specializing in tower attack. I remember my father assigned you thus. He placed my stepsister at the other tower. Nothing personal, understand?"  
  
"Yes, your highness," they bowed and walked away to their assignments.  
  
But Enishi stopped the redhaired wizard. "You didn't get me, Kenshin. Primary royal guard." He held out a hand. "Protect me like you did back then."  
  
"Your highness?"  
  
"Enishi to you, redhead. I forgave you, a few years back, when I succeeded the throne. I got a good look at those towers, and I finally understood. Forgive my actions some time ago. It was not me talking."  
  
Kenshin nodded, took the hand and shook it. "It will be my pleasure to serve his majesty the prince, once again."  
  
......................................  
  
The men assembled formed a motley crew of soldiers, trained civilians, and battle-ready magicians. Most of the soldiers and civilians still had scowls on their faces as they saw the prince. A few with bows were readying an arrow to hit the prince with. People nearer the front lines took out daggers and swords.  
  
His majesty the snow prince finally appeared before the troops, riding a dark brown horse that contrasted his light-colored ensemble. The commander in chief approached, saluted, then took a place a few paces away from the prince.  
  
At the far end of the field, stood the armies of the opposing forces. No less than three territories had allied against the snow prince. All of them wanted his head. On a platter.  
  
The prince merely smiled at all the animosity around him. He paced the horse back and forth through the army as he made his speech.  
  
"I will not apologize for my actions these past few months. I know that I have been less than worthy of my position for a while. Everyone is capable of much evil, when he allows his primitive self to run loose. But enough about that. If any of you think I should not be living a second longer, you're free to attack now."  
  
He raised his sword for the assembly to see, then threw it down. He also took off his helmet and breastplate. It was such unconditional surrender, that the people all froze, confused about what to do next.  
  
"The princess succeeds me on the throne if you do choose to kill me. Next to her, I guess, Saitou takes over. It's not a big problem, as you can see. However, I must remind you, we are facing a much larger problem.  
  
"It does not matter so much who leads you. It does matter to me if you allow your lands, your trades, and your families to be taken from you by force. It matters to me that you're almost willing to surrender your lives to a monster, because you didn't like the man who reigns over you now. You should've revolted against me and got me out, if it was that bad, then replaced one of your own. You should have changed things yourselves. You shouldn't let someone from another realm tell you what you want.  
  
"But, things are already what they are now, so deal with it. Only you can change things. Not me. You. All of you. Now fight. Not for me, but for yourselves.  
  
"That's it. I'm done talking."  
  
The troops buzzed and murmured for a few minutes. Then the noise increased until they turned to shouts. Soon horns blared, and claps and cheers resonated.  
  
They were ready to fight.  
  
"Quite a pep talk, highness," Saitou complimented dryly.  
  
"How do you think I won Misao over, commander? By force?" he answered with a smirk.  
  
He then took back his armor and sword, and galloped to the enemy side. "Hear that, Shishio? That's the noise of my people, and no funny pair of glasses is taking them from me! Your trick has been found out, and you'll pay for your insolence against my realm."  
  
This set the magicians on the side of the enemy buzzing. Several of them were friends of those under Enishi, and had heard about the Eyes of Malice. They reported to their leaders, who forwarded the message to their lords and kings. Of course, these heads of state had only been told about the prince's deterioration, not its reason. Now they were told, they hated themselves for being tricked.  
  
Enishi shouted to the opposing forces. "This is my last word, Shishio! Withdraw!"  
  
Movement of messengers and horses was seen near the back of the assembled force. Some shouting was heard, annoyed shouting. Meanwhile the army whispered among themselves, speculating about what was going on. Then groups of troops backed out, one at a time.  
  
The black mage eventually galloped toward the prince. As he did not know who placed the spell on him, the prince did not offer resistance, or put up a fight.  
  
"I come in peace, your highness," Aoshi calmly said. "Lord Shishio, at least his troops, will not withdraw."  
  
"Fine," Enishi answered. "Let him come."  
  
..............................  
  
As assigned, Kenshin headed the magicians responsible for protecting the castle and the towers. Any soldier that got too close to the castle suffered a paralyzing electric blast.  
  
The fighting was fierce and even, on the ground and at the towers. Enishi's forces were slowly gaining new ground, and keeping their own. Soon Enishi was face to face with his rival, and crossed swords.  
  
Kenshin saw this from his point at the tower, and started to aim.  
  
But the poor wizard could not get his mind off the magician they left within the palace. It was not so much the spell that bothered him. It was the undo spell that did.  
  
It was easier to undo than the Eyes of Malice. Even an ordinary human had the power to undo it. And yet, it was the most difficult spell in the books to undo. It was not a matter of qualification. It was a matter of love.  
  
The spellcaster could not take back the spell once executed. There is no spell that could counter it. It required an exact, and yet inexact, emotion, an unreliable sensation. Only one person had the key to unlock the spell, and this person was different for each victim. If the person could not be found, the victim was locked forever.  
  
Megumi brought him back to reality with a shake. "You are making too many mistakes, Kenshin!"  
  
Indeed, most of his shots hit only trees and air. And still Enishi and Shishio were fighting below. "Sorry, milady! It's just that........"  
  
"I'll bet that's Aoshi's plan, to keep you distracted! Now focus! You are the Crimson Master! Prove it to me! We have to do our best, so we can get back to that rookie!"  
  
He nodded, and fired a straight blast. At Lord Shishio!  
  
It was not a killing blow, but it stopped him cold from moving, and drained him of power. Any more exertion by him would endanger his life.  
  
The cry was soon heard.  
  
"Retreat!"  
  
........................................  
  
When they returned that evening, they found the rookie magician still asleep. The palace physician had already taken a look at her. She was not sick in any way. The wizard's explanation was the right one.  
  
"About undoing that spell," Megumi treaded delicately. "What if you are not the one?"  
  
"Then I shall find him," he answered. "The one to break the spell."  
  
"However," Megumi continued, "if it is indeed you who has that honor, great wizard, waste no time."  
  
"Yes, milady."  
  
Then he just kept staring at the sleeping mage. Her delicate lips, her pale cheeks, her wavy hair, her..........  
  
"Kenshin?" Megumi waved a hand in front of his face.  
  
"Yes?" His hands were starting to sweat, and his eyes were starting to panic.  
  
"Now? Within this lifetime?!"  
  
"But........."  
  
Megumi made him face her. She looked around, and spoke as much to the wizard as to air around them. "Listen, for years I have wanted someone to give me the kiss that will wake me from this nightmare I call my life. For years, he did not give it to me. He was too scared of himself, too afraid to open to another person, and show that he, too, is weak sometimes. He's not a bad man, but he wanted to be..........worthy of me, I guess. But he did not need to be anything more than he is!"  
  
Both she and he felt it. The black mage was present. Cloaked, but present.  
  
She shook Kenshin by the shoulders. "Listen to me, great wizard. Do not be afraid. Do not make this woman suffer, for loving you enough to risk her magic on you. Please, don't make the same mistake."  
  
"But, I spent my magic on the battle, milady..........."  
  
"Great wizard, even you know that a --different-- kind of magic is needed for this spell, right?" she answered with a little smile. "Do I need to show you how it's done?"  
  
She marched to the window. "Manifest!" She disabled the invisibility around the black mage. And before he could protest, she locked him in a long and incredible kiss.  
  
He took her into his strong arms, as a few tears fell from his eyes.  
  
"Let us go, alright?" she pleaded with him. "Let's start a new life Let us not use our magic this way anymore."  
  
He nodded, slowly and sadly. He turned his eyes on Kenshin, with a look of defeat.  
  
"I looked up to you, Aoshi, back in school," Kenshin smiled. "I still do. The directory does not dictate what we really are. Go in peace."  
  
Aoshi nodded again, and took Megumi beside him. He readied his wand for departure. But Megumi raised a hand and made him wait.  
  
"KENSHIN!" Megumi said. "About Kaoru?"  
  
"Yes, milady, yes, I will.........."  
  
"NOW!"  
  
He sighed. No way around it, then. He had to do it.  
  
He kneeled slowly, and drew himself nearer and nearer to her. Everything they had experienced together ran quickly in his mind. He remembered the first time he really looked at her, asleep in his bed back in his shack. Her face was peaceful and sweet. He remembered that even then, even then, he wanted to draw himself near, align his heart with hers, align his lips with hers...........  
  
Now it was.  
  
He felt a different kind of warmth pass from him to her. He had known it before with Tomoe, but it was so long ago, and so filled with pain, that it was another sensation altogether now that he felt with this woman. They shared something that had no words, and no understandable expression.  
  
He had known her only for a short while, but that short while was enough and plenty. He wanted her in his life. He wished to be with her always. He.......he..............he loved her.  
  
He did not want to separate himself from her, but staying too long would be disrespectful of her. He stroked her cheek with a smile. Then he stood and bowed to her. "If I am not the one, I still thank you for being there for me." He walked away.  
  
"I did not think that man was capable of a kiss like that," the prince noted, behind all the assembled mages, the princess beaming beside him. "What just happened?"  
  
None of the mages knew what to say.  
  
Just then, the young lady in the bed began to stir.  
  
She gave a little yawn, then rubbed her eyes and stretched. "Good morning -- --- eh? Why is everybody here? Your highness! You're all dirty and bruised! And why does Kenshin looked so flustered? And why is it so dark outside?!"  
  
"You did it, great wizard!" Megumi, against her usual deportment, twirled Kenshin round and round.  
  
Kenshin just kept eyes wide open and mouth agape.  
  
"Somebody tell me what happened while I was asleep!" Kaoru demanded, but everybody was too happy to notice. "Arrgh!"  
  
Aoshi came near after Megumi had twirled the redhaired wizard a few times, and offered his hand. "I now accept my defeat. I was wrong to challenge you. Have a good life with her." The wizard took it with a smile.  
  
Megumi gave him a little peck on the cheek. "You'll be fine with that rookie. Remember to write every once in a while, alright?"  
  
With that, the black mage waved his wand, and the two disappeared.  
  
"What happened?!" Kaoru cried.  
  
"It does not matter any more, Kaoru, milady," Kenshin answered with a large smile. "We won over Lord Shishio."  
  
"And you did not let me help?!" Kaoru pouted. "You're mean!"  
  
"Oh, on the contrary, Kaoru, quite the contrary!" the prince said mysteriously. "He was very, charming, toward you, to say the least."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
No one said anything more on the matter.  
  
Soujirou also came into the room, a large flashing book in his hand. "I was looking for all of you! I found this thing glowing and flashing. I think the palace magician owns this? I was wondering if you knew how to disable this bomb, or something?"  
  
Kaoru laughed and took the book from him. She flipped its pages, and her eyes widened.  
  
Kenshin's name was removed from the top of the ranks, to one where legendary mages such as Tomoe's father were listed. Kaoru was listed as the best of the promising new mages. For using the unusually powerful spell, Aoshi's rank in power and skill was raised, but he was placed lower than Megumi overall. Megumi herself was now only four places below the top rank on all categories.  
  
"Well, now!" Misao exclaimed, and tugged at the prince. "With Megumi gone for a while, shall we employ the best of the promising new mages?"  
  
"On one condition," the prince said. "She will not do any more tricks with plates. It costs us too much to replace them."  
  
Kaoru promised.  
  
"And! If you promise to personally train and improve with that redhead! Understood?"  
  
"Yes, Enishi-sama! My pleasure!"  
  
The wizard gave the prince a knowing and grateful look.  
  
"For that matter," Enishi faced Kenshin, "I'll send a letter of recommendation to the school for mages. You're wasting your talent, Crimson Master. Stop working at that stable. Teach rookies like HER what you know."  
  
The fiery-haired wizard bowed with a grin. "It shall be done, your highness. Thank you."  
  
"No, Kenshin. Thank YOU. For everything."  
  
...............................  
  
And, so, as most of these mushy, sappy, magical little fairy tales end:  
  
They all lived happily ever after.  
  
...............................  
  
I apologize if the characterization of Shishio is rather sparse. I can't think like him, the way I can think like Enishi. ^_^  
  
Thanks to all the reviewers:  
  
Ferai – Dallisse – Bee – Vesca – JML – Cat – Tracey – Sabbie – Firuze Khanume – Cherrymecha – AsianBaka – Trupana – anri – Laurika – Sessha's Crazy  
  
JML – Once again, my supreme thanks to you. You convinced me that this is worth, finishing, at least.  
  
Laurika – Yes, I am done. Thanks for coming back. ^_^  
  
EK out. 


End file.
